Treading Dangerous Waters
by potato42069
Summary: After a little mermaid inadvertently rescues a surfer named Tadashi, she decides to become human herself under the name GoGo to let him know how she truly feels about his kind - a difficult task when you have a time limit, numerous barriers, and a growing attraction. / mermaid!AU. Tomadashi.
1. Prologue

**A/N:** Haha. So I got a totally stupid idea which resulted in even more stupid ideas and culminated into a totally stupid thing and da-da-da-DAH. You have... a mermaid!AU. More specifically a The Little Mermaid parody, although I've changed a lot of things to better suit the comedic nature of this story and so it's not a carbon copy of the whole movie. Despite my general aversion to multichap fics I have too many ideas to pass up.

TOTALLY NOT SERIOUS AT ALL FORGIVE ME FOR ANY CRINGING YOU MAY SUFFER.

Special thanks and dedication to Deadeye1, who helped me with shenanigan and plot ideas!

* * *

A college student was nothing if not relishing sweet release from the end of a very taxing year. Among the beach boardwalks of the city, a young man recently relieved of his status as college freshman celebrated this new freedom with a bushy-haired boy by his side. Both leaned against the railing and gazed at the ocean, taking in the salty sea breeze and the bustling noises from the crowds behind them.

"All these foods and games and you want to look at _water?_" the younger brother groaned, throwing his arms in the direction of the boardwalk attractions. "We have a sink at home. Honestly, Tadashi!"

The elder, donning a baseball cap, kept his eyes on the rolling and crashing waves. "I think I might take up surfing again this summer."

The younger merely shrugged. "Okay, you do you. Don't let the sharks get you. Or the mermaids."

Snort. "_Mermaids?_ Really?"

"Yeah, you know. The ones that sing to you and lure you to your death." The boy waved his fingers in wispy motions and pitched his voice in a falsetto. "_Ooh, Tadaaaashi!_"

"Those are _sirens_, genius."

"Nope, I'm tellin' ya, mermaids are just as evil."

"And you would know this because...?"

"Well, they would be to you if you also held them up for hot dogs-the line, of which, is getting longer by the way." He used his thumb to gesture in the direction of a hot dog stand which was gathering quite a crowd.

Tadashi rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable. All right, you little imp, let's get some."

"Took long enough. The mermaids will be pleased."

"_Hiro._"

"_Ooh, Tadaaaashi!_"

...

Somewhere, deep in the vast blue waters, the dimmest of lights filtered through the surface and the rocks and vibrant plants teemed with tiny life. But even greater than that, laughter echoed throughout the waves as beings with tails and fins glistening with bright scales in various colors swam about freely and carelessly. For the most part, they danced and sang harmoniously. A little further from the gathering, however, the feeling of bonhomie didn't extend to one little mermaid, who was stuffing things in her worn handbag at random.

The mermaid picked a ring of plastic off her golden tail and examined it before stuffing it into the bag with disdain. Cans, boxes, plastic bottles...

_Disgusting,_ she thought. Unlike many other merfolk who thought such things cute and had even taken to decorating their homes with these "gifts" from the humans, she hardly appreciated this trash. Too often she'd gotten her tails stuck in the rings or gotten cuts from the metal. Most brushed them off as minor inconveniences, because after all, they were just cute offerings. So long as humans did no real harm to one of their own, there was no need to bother with them.

But to her, all these... _offerings _appeared nothing short of gross. The way they just landed everywhere, every time she had to remove some junk lodged in a stupid animal's throat. It was tiresome. Brushing her jet black hair streaked with violet out of her face, the little mermaid slung her bag over her shoulder and swam above, watching the bright sun filtering below grow closer and closer. She poked her head above the water and watched from a distance as humans screeched and ran amuck on the sandy beaches. They had even _bigger_ junk on the surface, big enough to _enter!_ It wasn't like some things weren't useful, like the handy bag she carried, but why was it all so necessary?

Sighing, she dove back underwater and gazed at all the trash she collected. It was more accurate to say trash that came upon her, however. The only way she knew to dispose of it was to dump it on other merfolk who enjoyed them more than she did.

Merfolk had never been to the surface or bothered to talk to humans. Why waste their time, and why disturb these happy mindless little creatures? She'd heard of some in the past who would sing sailors to their demise, an act now a social taboo. And she didn't have anything quite that dreadful in mind. Just a message to stop dumping their junk where she lived so she'd stop getting her tail tangled up in them or something.

She thought for a moment what it'd be like to be part of their world and do exactly that. Immediately she shook her head and swam off towards the others, wondering which ones would fight the loudest over the prettiest can.


	2. Part of Your World

**A/N:** This story is a total joke just like my life, and I swear I'll get to the good stuff soon. Thanks for reading! (Also many thank to Deadeye1 for idea dump after idea dump. It made writing this all the more fun.)

* * *

In a rage, the little mermaid yanked the plastic wrap off her hair and shoved it in her bag while a little white fish beside her merely cocked his head.

"You seem to be distressed," he noted. That was the thing with fish - they spoke nothing but the obvious in stilted dialogue.

"You'd be too if you got caught in this crap all the time, Baymax," she retorted, untangling the strands of her hair as the two swam above back to the surface.

"You dislike humans."

"That's putting it mildly."

"And yet you visit them frequently."

"I just... I just have no clue how they _work_, okay? They just make trash upon trash, and it's... why? Don't they hurt themselves? Don't they ever think it's a bad idea?" Irritated, she poked her head above the water and watched from afar. There was always one human, sometimes a group, that loitered among the shores. Quite often she'd listen in on their conversations, figuring out the names of the trash that they'd toss into the ocean. They were usually surrounded in some kind of smoke for some reason - did smoke commonly surround humans?

One human in particular who visited and talked quite frequently. Shaggy brown hair, baggy clothing, blue hat. She'd dubbed him Scuttle, the way he'd scuttle around the shore all funny and when he wasn't lazily dragging himself around. Plus, his actual name-Fred, or was it?-sounded strange to her. She watched with curiosity as he brought a cylindrical plastic... device to his lips before exhaling more smoke. Humans breathed _smoke?_

"Ey, Fred, my man," one of his buddies drawled, "pass me the bong."

"Nah, brah," Scuttle countered, "'s not a bong, it's a snarfblat."

Bong? Snarfblat? Humans had the weirdest names.

"Snarfblat?"

"Yeah, yeah, man, the music-making stuff like in issue #69 of Ma - " Scuttle's red eyes widened as he spotted something shiny in the sand and picked it up. It was a silver stick with several prongs. "Bro... a _dinglehopper._"

"Whoa, man." The other one snatched the dinglehopper from his friend and brushed it in his hair.

A dinglehopper. The mermaid thought back to her tangled hair earlier. That might be useful... Then again, she wouldn't need it if not for the filthy trash that got tangled in her hair all the time.

"Hey, breh. You got... you got more pot?"

"Yeah, man. Why?"

"'Cuz weed be cute together, bro."

"_Bro_..."

"Look," Baymax said, glancing above.

The little mermaid took one more look at the orange sky, then dove back under with her fish friend. The images of the snarfblat and dinglehopper didn't leave her mind, but she refused to see how such terrible things could be good.

"Look at this shit," she sung to herself, digging through the trash she'd later give to one of her neighbors, "What is this here? Someone's used snarfblat, a cheap can of beer..."

"You sing quite well," said Baymax.

The compliment almost made her smile, but as she swam past a coral, another ring of plastic caught onto one of her scales. She howled in rage, tearing it off angrily.

"I wanna be where the people are," she half-grumbled, half-sung (if that was at all possible). "I wanna see... wanna see 'em _suffering._"

...

One breath. Two. Tadashi Hamada clutched his surfboard as he watched the waves crashing under the dark sky while his brother sat idly on the rocks.

"Why are you going out surfing this late?" Hiro groaned.

"Less people taking up space," Tadashi said, although something about the tranquility of the empty seas at night appealed to him. "Besides, you didn't have to come."

"I have to if I'm going to make sure you pick up more pop-tarts home."

He sighed. "Maybe if you didn't eat them all in one sitting..."

Hiro waved his hand dismissively. "Shoo! Off with your surfing thing. I'm gonna see if anything's still open." With that, he hopped off the rock and briskly walked back to the boardwalk.

Tadashi rolled his eyes and treaded out into the ocean, lying his chest flat on the board as he placed it in the water, gliding his arms through the surface.

...

Not many came to the sea this late. It was the one time she could come to the surface without being seen-word would spread and King Callaghan would reprimand her for frightening the humans. She'd heard rumors of his own daughter Abigail wanting to come to the surface herself, but it wasn't any of her business. Despite her disdain for humans and their trash, she couldn't hate their world entirely. There was something refreshing about the cold air grazing her wet skin, the exotic feeling of her hair blowing in the wind. It never fell flat under water and certainly didn't blow.

The little mermaid excitedly swam above, picking up speed along the way before coming to a sudden halt. Something blocked the light above... a shadow. A seal? What was it doing alone, and why were its flippers so long and skinny?

"Baymax," she whispered to the fish beside her. "Do you see this?"

"I cannot swim fast," he replied, struggling to keep up.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. There's something weird about that seal, don't you think?"

Baymax cocked his head. "That is not a seal."

"What the hell are you talking ab - " When she glanced back up, the fins had disappeared altogether and the seal was picking up speed. Baymax was right - this was no seal. But just what the hell was it? Beckoning her friend, she followed the mysterious creature as it rose higher and higher until it started... shrinking. That was when she saw a fin - no, _limb_ pop out. And other. And a head. A human.

A human with more junk. A rather large one, too. Enough was enough, she decided. She didn't care if she was breaking all rules of the merworld and if King Callaghan would zap and fry her into little shrimp with his trident. It was just a giant dinglehopper for all she cared. Dealing with the humans' crap ended now. At full speed she swam up to the human and grabbed the edge of the trash piece, yanking at it and yelling, "Hey, you!"

The human yelped and toppled over, crashing into the sea. Finally!

"Listen, you!" she screamed, jerking at his arms. "You and your people have screwed me over for the last time! And I swear if I find another goddamn piece of crap in my ocean - "

"I do not think he can hear you," Baymax noted.

"What?" she snapped.

"I do not think he can hear you."

She glared at the human's face. His eyes were shut completely. He'd fallen asleep on her! If humans were not the rudest, most despicable...

"Perhaps he cannot breathe. I cannot breathe above the surface."

The mermaid stopped shaking him and took a moment to reconsider. "Fine. We'll give it a shot." With that, she hauled the human to the surface as quickly as her tail could bring her, popping out of the water and dragging his body over the sandy beaches. At once, she began slapping his face only to receive no response.

_Terrific,_ she thought. She hadn't expected to come this far. Maybe this wasn't the greatest idea. The other merfolk might have a field day about this. Then again, she'd never been this close to a human before. It was a little fascinating. She peered more closely at his face, now illuminated by the moonlight. Dark black hair with a defined nose. She lightly traced her fingers along his smoothly chiseled jaw. He was quite handsome, she had to admit.

Wait. Handsome? A human? No! She'd never thought that! She beat at her chest angrily as if it would make the beating of her heart slow. Then a curious thought occurred. Ever so slowly, she brought her ears to his broad chest. _Th-thump, th-thump._

He had a heartbeat, too. She lifted her head from his chest and gazed at his face, brushing his stringy wet hair out of his eyes. Did humans like music, too?

"_What would I give to be where you are?_" she began singing softly, breathily. "_What would I give for you to listen to me? What would I give for you to stop dumping your trash?_"

The human's breaths began to quicken and his eyelids slowly started lifting. The mermaid's heart raced, but from what she didn't know? Excitement? Fear?

"Tadashi!" a voice called anxiously.

Her heart stopped. Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit. More of them! She drew her hands back from the human's face and scrambled closer to the water and leaped under, only barely poking her head back out to watch an even tinier human with bushy hair dash towards the one she'd dragged out.

"Tadashi!" he called again, dropping to his knees and shaking the older one frantically.

The bigger one lifted his head and cringed, bringing his hand to his temple. The bushy-haired one sighed with relief. "Thank _god_, Tadashi."

"Mn... Hiro?" the one now named Tadashi groaned.

"You okay? What the hell happened?"

"Language," he mumbled.

The younger one - Hiro - threw his arms up in exasperation. "Well! I guess you're fine, then!"

"Hiro, was there - was there a girl here?"

"Oh, great. Even a great big ocean can't quench your thirst! There's an app called tinder now, big brother!"

"Hiro, I'm serious! I was surfing and then... I feel like I was literally pulled, or... I don't know. It sounds weird. I just... I remember blacking out, and..." He rubbed his head. "This is gonna sound totally weird, but... I swear I saw a girl here. Singing. I think... I think she saved me."

The mermaid gulped.

Hiro shook his head and pulled Tadashi up. "Nope. No girls. Beach is totally empty. Oh, man, you must've really hit your head bad. Or swallowed a bunch of seawater. Or you're just horny, or both."

"Okay, no more Internet for you, mister," Tadashi retorted, ruffling Hiro's hair as the two walked further inland.

"Aw, but I was promised hot singles in my area!"

"Unbelievable."

When at last they disappeared from sight, the mermaid climbed back on the rocks and brushed her short hair out of her face. The humans didn't act all that rude or despicable... even if they were strange. They showed concern, too. For their own kind, but concern nonetheless. And that older one, Tadashi...

"_I don't know when,_" she sang to herself, "_I don't know how... but I know something's starting right now. Watch and you'll see... someday I'll be... part of your w - _" Her vocalizing was cut off by a spasm of coughing. Air and dry throat didn't match. She'd have to try hitting the high notes underwater. Grumbling to herself, she dove back underwater wondering what her next move would be.


	3. The Sea Witch

**A/N:** Jesus. I mean Jesus this took a super long time, but now that school and finals are over I definitely have more time to continue writing this summer. How lucky this turned out to be a summer fic - although really this story's more for shits and giggles' sake so I don't take myself too seriously as I write this. I do hope you enjoy, though! Props as always to DE1 for ideas and congrats on life events!

* * *

"Morning shifts? In the _summer?_" Hiro tut-tutted and shook his head in disapproval. "Maybe I should dig around for my adoption papers, because there's no way I have any blood relation to someone who has no idea how to spend his summer vacation."

"Okay, but while you're lounging around moping about cleaning duty in the afternoon, I'll have my work out of the way," Tadashi countered, flipping through a surfer's magazine from his bed. Occasionally a spread of bikini models posing in the sand popped up. Girls... He thought back to that night at the beach when he'd crashed. The images were still fuzzy and he couldn't exactly pinpoint the face, aside from short black hair. The _voice_, though. The girl's voice remained clear, a sweet, simple soprano.

Who was she? If she really had saved him, he'd need to properly thank her...

Meanwhile, the younger brother grumbled, interrupting his thoughts. "Why do we gotta work anyway? It's summer!"

"Because we live here."

"Didn't ask to live here."

"Watch your mouth, Hiro," Tadashi warned. "We owe Aunt Cass a lot."

Hiro fidgeted with his robot from his desk and kept a blank expression. "You know what I mean."

Tadashi paused, then set the magazine aside. When he spoke, his voice softened. "Hey..."

"Okay, _don't_ get started on the mushy stuff."

"You don't even know what I was going to say!"

"Uh, _yeah_. That's the voice you get whenever you try to be deep or whatever but you end up sounding like those weird hipster quotes in those teenage girly books."

Tadashi rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable." He ruffled his brother's bushy hair anyway, making him grumble something about not being five anymore.

"Tell you what, get your first shift done without complaints and I'll take you out for crepes."

Hiro opened his mouth to protest being bribed like a child, then closed it and eyed his brother. "Which ones?"

"Yuzuki's."

"Done and done. But really. _Morning_ shifts."

"Also, if my morning shifts bug you, I got another part-time job down at the wharf."

"You _what?_" Hiro sputtered.

"Productivity and cash-raking at its finest."

"More like sheer idiocy." He scrambled to the door. "_Aunt Cass! Can we have a look at my birth records, please?_"

...

The mermaid lay her back flat on a rock slab, absentmindedly picking at a string tangled in her hair. Images of the human kept racing through her mind. Did he have a name? Did he come to the sea often? What was he doing at this moment? Why did she even _care_?

Because she'd never been so close to a human before. Yes, that was it. She was bound to wonder without all the spite eventually, even if the human world was a mess. And if she was to properly infiltrate it, she'd at least need to know how it worked. Especially the people. And if they always swam so late and looked so handsome...

"Baymax!" she cried suddenly.

"You called for my assistance?" her fish companion asked.

"This stupid human thing is driving me _nuts!_" She yanked the string from her hair - which hurt a little - and chucked it away.

"You are experiencing frustration and confusion."

"Yeah, yeah - no, I'm not confused. I'm just..." She thought about the right word. "Pissed. I haven't actually _done_ anything to get them to stop, not even when I was right at his face - "

"You cannot talk to unconscious people."

"Yeah, I know, and they'd probably freak if they saw a mermaid..." She trailed off as an unbidden thought entered her mind. If they saw a mermaid. But with other humans... Her eyes lit up as she excitedly turned to her friend. "But what if I _wasn't_ a mermaid? Baymax, that's it!"

"I do not understand."

"Uh-huh, of course you don't because you're a friggin' fish. But Baymax, what if I met them as a human? They wouldn't know what hit 'em!" A grin split across her face. "Literally!"

"I do not think - "

"Doesn't matter. I've decided. I'm going to become human." Springing from the rock and tugging at Baymax by the fin, the mermaid sped off.

"I am not fast," Baymax said.

"I know. C'mon, we're going to see Honey Lemon the Sea Witch."

...

Work was work, Tadashi thought, even if the gift shop always smelled of salt and fish. Other things to complain about included the creaky wooden floorboards that left splinters on bare feet, the dust upon dust coating pretty much everything, and overall how cramped the space was. It was a wonder the place ever got business - there was barely enough space to fit him and the one other person.

"At _night,_ Tadashi?" The tall broad-shouldered man frowned, clutching a Windex bottle and scrubbing at the counter. "That's when surfing is most dangerous."

Tadashi shrugged, paying minimal attention. Instead, he pretended to focus on rearranging the glossy shells and seahorse statues on the shelves. "Gotta get used to it then, right? It's when the beach is most empty. Anyway, after I - "

"I don't like it. You can't preach to Hiro about 'safety first' and then go out when you're most likely to drown."

"Hiro doesn't surf, Wasabi."

_Sigh._ "You know, it wouldn't kill you to call me - "

Ringing bells cut him off as Hiro swung the door open with a shrill creak, yelling, "Wassup, Wasabi?"

"I drop wasabi on my shirt _one time!_" Wasabi bellowed as the door slammed shut behind the fourteen-year-old boy. "What on earth was Fred's dad thinking? You'd think a guy who owned half the boardwalk would have the sense to learn about sanitation!"

"It's not so bad," Hiro said, leaning one hand on the wall only to recoil at the grimy sensation on his palm.

Tadashi frowned at his brother. "Shouldn't you be taking your shift at the café?"

"Au contraire, big brother. My shift doesn't start until two. And it's only one-fifty seven. Anyway, how's the cleaning business going, 'Sabi?" Hiro asked quickly, turning to their friend.

"No disinfectants! Absolutely _none!_" Wasabi shouted in frustration.

"Good thing you're right next to the ocean, then. Wash yourself right off."

"The ocean isn't clean water, Hiro. People running amuck in it! Kids peeing in there!"

"It's not just kids," Tadashi interjected with a quick glance at Hiro, who smacked his arm.

"Maybe I will actually pee in there. Pee all over ocean girl and tell her it was _you_," he grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Who's this ocean girl?" Wasabi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I was _going_ to talk about that before the little snot walked in. You know how I was talking about surfing that night? I crashed, and then - "

"You _crashed?_ What'd I tell you, Tadashi?"

"Remind me to never let you be an audience member anywhere."

Wasabi closed his eyes and lifted a hand, prompting him to carry on. Tadashi smiled and rolled his eyes.

"As I was saying, I think I kinda blacked out. Next thing I knew, I'm flat on my back and I hear someone singing. I'm pretty sure it was a girl - I'm not exactly sure what she looked like, and by the time Hiro found me, she was gone, but... I think she saved my life."

"Any idea who she could be?" Wasabi asked, rummaging through the drawers.

"No... I can't really make out the face. I kinda remember black hair..."

"Well, that narrows it down. But I mean, Tadashi, you_ did_ almost drown. Are you sure it wasn't... you know..." He looped circles by his head. "Hallucinations?"

"Wasabi, I_ swear_ I can't make up a voice like that for my life. She's out there somewhere. I gotta find her, and I gotta... I gotta thank her."

When his friend responded with only a blank expression, Tadashi resumed rearranging the knick-knacks, thinking he might revisit the beach that night.

"Has your brother ever heard of Tinder?" Wasabi whispered to Hiro.

"That's what I said!" Hiro cried, flinging his arms in the air.

"_Go back to work, Hiro._"

...

The sea witch's lair stopped the mermaid in her tracks. A lump rose in her throat and chills ran through her spine as she looked into it. "I... I don't know if I want to go in anymore," she said suddenly, tugging at Baymax's fin.

"You are frightened."

The mermaid didn't respond. "It's just... so..."

"Pink," the fish said.

Indeed, there was not one thing in sight that wasn't pink. The entire exterior of the lair was decorated in ribbons, frills, and any other adorable cavity-inducing item collected from the human world.

"Just look at it! If this is how the sea witch decorates her lair, she must go to the human world a lot!" The mermaid ran her fingers through her hair. "What if she knows what I'm up to, and then she decides she won't help me, but she'll do something real bad like - "

"Visitors?" a high voice from within called.

"Crap! Baymax, let's go!"

The fish didn't budge, and instead someone from within shrieked and shot out of the lair like a torpedo, yanking the mermaid and the fix in a constricting hug.

"Welcome, both of you!" the witch squealed. The mermaid shuddered as she felt something lumpy snaking around her tail and looked down. She bit her lip to keep from screaming, as she found she found large, pink tentacles worming around her body. The witch remained oblivious to her terror as she pulled away and readjusted two glassy circles in front of her eyes and fixed her flowing blonde hair.

"Oh, you are so cute, both of you! Come here! Photo, photo!" She pulled the two in with her tentacles once more and pulled out a little box, pressing her finger down and creating a bright flash like the mermaid had never seen. Colored bubbles floated around her vision while the witch rambled.

"I don't get quite too many underwater visitors, nowadays... Of course, that must be because I spent so much time on land, but really, it does get a little boring every once in a while. What are you doing outside? Come in, come, come!"

The mermaid, deciding she had no options, warily followed the sea witch into the lair, which only increased in pink decorations and stuffed surface creatures she'd never seen. At last, they reached a room filled with that junk. Some of the names she'd heard from other mermaids, some from her eavesdropping. A couch, a table, a bed... In a center rested an enormous pink cauldron. The witch primly sat on the couch and crossed her tentacles, patting the empty spot beside her. The mermaid hesitated as the witch giggled.

"Sit, silly!"

Awkwardly, the mermaid did as told. She'd lay down before, but never... _sat_. The witch paid no attention to her discomfort, instead offering her little shrimp snacks in a bowl, which she politely declined.

"Oh, the surface really affects my ways of living. I have an air room upstairs, but can't have you flopping around, can we? So, how can I service you today?" She chewed on a shrimp and offered some other snacks to Baymax, who happily accepted.

The mermaid nervously fidgeted, frowning. The witch was practically in love with the human world. "Uh... Miss Witch?"

"Call me Honey Lemon!"

"Right. So, uh..." How to go about this? Best to be straightforward. "I want to be human."

"Oh." Her eyes widened as she put down the shrimp bowl and pressed her fingers to her lips. "Oh my. That's not something I get quite often."

"Yeah, I can imagine."

"What ever made you think this?"

She probably should have thought this out more thoroughly. If she knew the witch had been such a huge human fanatic, she probably would have looked for another solution. "Um, look, so... a while ago I almost d - uh, this human almost drowned, and uh, I saved him?" Honey Lemon looked engrossed, so she must be doing something right. "The thing is, I didn't really get to talk to him the way I wanted, and if I'm a mermaid - "

"Oh!" Honey Lemon gasped, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, how_ romantic!_"

"Huh?" Her jaw dropped, and even Baymax stopped eating his treats to stare.

"You're in love! With a human!"

"Hold on, _what?_"

"And not just any human! _A prince!_"

"I _never_ said - " she exclaimed, leaping from her seat.

"Okay, okay, that was a stretch, but let a witch dream! Oh, darling, of _course_ Honey Lemon will help you! No price necessary! I go up to the human world all the time, so I'll be able to help out and keep updates. I just adore love stories - "

"I can tell..."

"Come, come!" Honey Lemon beckoned the little mermaid over to a large mirror placed above a table. She clicked it open, revealing bottles in a variety of shapes and colors. "Let's see, let's see..." Hovering her fingers over the bottles, she at last pulled out three different bottles and swam over to the cauldron. "Me not being a mermaid, I can shapeshift at will, but a mermaid... It's been a while since I performed this spell for a mermaid... It was just one other one," she mumbled, pouring in a dash of this and a hint of that.

"One other one?"

"Okay, sweetie, it should be ready in a few! I just need you to do one last - "

"Hold up!" The mermaid interrupted.

Honey Lemon blinked. "Yes?"

"Um, don't take this the wrong way but... say it doesn't work out and I want to be a mermaid again. There's a reversal for this, right?"

She gasped. "But you _must_ believe in true love!"

"Yeah, yeah, okay, true love aside, what if... I don't know, I miss the sea and want to be a mermaid again? You have a reversal spell for that?"

The witch frowned. "Well, I've never really needed a reversal spell before..."

Really, now? the mermaid wanted to retort.

"... but this spell does have a, er, warranty."

"What is it?"

"This human you have in mind... Say you do want to return to the ocean as a mermaid. If you do..." Honey Lemon reached from behind the cauldron and whipped out a silver knife with glee. "You must _murder him with this knife and let his blood drip upon your feet to regain your tail!_"

The mermaid frowned. That was just so messy. "Is that seriously the only way?"

"Or you could kiss him within the first three months. Call it a trial?"

"And that was not the first option because..."

"I very rarely get my moments of dramatic flair, you know." She raised one finger. "But there's a teensy weeny catch: he has to kiss you on his own."

"Meaning..."

"He must _want_ to kiss you. That is, fall in love with you, too!" Honey Lemon clapped excitedly. "Oh, I can just imagine it! The human prince who cannot bear to see his beloved in such pain mournfully kisses her to return her to her home, spending the rest of his life pining over her! The tragedy!"

The mermaid was starting to see why this witch didn't get visitors often. "Do you really think your spells through thoroughly, or...?"

"Anyway! Now that we've discussed that, one last thing! You see, to really personalize this spell, it'd be really wonderful if you could sing a little tune."

"Sing...?" Singing couldn't be a huge price to pay for what she was asking for. As for the human... she was a catch, wasn't she? And humans weren't all that smart. She could make him fall for her easily. And there was always that blood option.

"See you on the other side, Baymax," she said to her fish friend. With that, she opened her mouth and vocalized. The contents in the cauldron began glowing purple as ethereal wisps reach out and circled her tail. Her throat began to hurt, but she pushed on anyway, thinking she would mess up the process if she cut herself off. As she felt the tingling in her tail grow stronger, her throat became more strained and she started coughing. The wisps disappeared.

Oh, crap! she tried to cry, but the sharp pain rose in her throat once again and she coughed more.

"Don't worry, dear. The spell worked just fine! You'll wake up in land in a few moments."

Her eyelids did feel heavy and the room was dimming. Desperately, she pointed at her throat.

"Oh, ah... you must sing quite a lot because as a result of being human, you're probably getting one of those human diseases... laryngitis, I think it is? No worries! It'll be gone in a few days!" Honey Lemon waved one last time wishing her luck before the mermaid's world went black.

...

Her back hurt, her neck hurt, _everything_ hurt. She felt something hard jabbing at her body and fluttered her eyes open to a wide blue space. A cool breeze ran through her hair and wet skin while the bottom half of her body felt cold, submerged in the water. Slowly, she lifted herself from the rocks she'd been leaning against and tried pulling her tail to her chin, only to two when she felt two tails pulling up.

Two tails. Two legs! She lifted one of them - how strange, to have _two_ tails to lift! - and wiggled the little stubs on her feet. What were they called again? Toes? What use were they? Did they help them walk? Come to think, she should be able to do that now. With all her might, she grabbed hold of one of the taller rocks and pulled her body upwards. The ground felt lumpy beneath her feet, but there she was! Standing! She released the rocks and suddenly her legs felt shaky with the rocks beneath her. Struggling to keep her balanced, she toppled over again, and the ache in her body returned.

She glanced toward the beach. There was no one there, but there was a huge piece of cloth lying by the side of the rocks. Slowly, she attempted to start walking again in huge strides, only to keep losing her balance and having to crawl to her destination. Humans wore those things called clothes, right? She took the cloth and wrapped it around her body, save her arms, tying it into a knot in various spots and examining herself. Not a bad job, she thought, even if it was lumpy and loose.

Somewhere, she heard a loud barking and she scrambled onto one of the rocks as a large fluffy land creature with four legs dashed at her. She clung to the rock, horrified, until she noticed the creature was pure white and looking at her quizzically.

Baymax? she tried to say, but it instead came out as a raspy cough.

The creature gave a slow nod. The witch! What had she turned Baymax into?

"Natsu! Natsu, c'mere, boy!" a voice called. Immediately following was a human with a cap and white shirt chasing after the noise. As soon as he lifted his head and his eyes met hers, his footsteps slowed. The mermaid tugged at her hair and stared into his eyes. This was him. This was the human from that night! This was her chance! She opened her mouth to say something, but the sharp pain hit again. She bit her lip in frustration. Right. Laryngitis.

"Oh, I..." he said in a low voice. He cleared his throat. "Sorry, I, um, thought the neighbor's dog had got out again." He didn't take his eyes off her, only scratched the back of his neck awkward. "My bad. Is this your dog?"

Dog? Was that the name? She nodded. Yes, this was Baymax.

"Sorry to bug you." He turned to leave. No! This was not the way this was supposed to happen! The mermaid angrily reached out to grab him, only to topple off the rock and hit the sand with a loud thump. Legs! How did humans deal with these? At the very least it caught human's attention, because he immediately turned back to help. "Oh my God, are you okay?" he asked, taking one of her arms and hoisting her up.

The mermaid glanced over her shoulder to Baymax, then faced the human again. Their faces were mere inches apart and she had half a mind to slap him and get on with her point if not for that cursed laryngitis. Instead she merely nodded and pulled away, only to start losing her balance again. The human wrapped an arm around her waist before she could hit the ground.

"Can you... can you not walk?" he asked tentatively.

Begrudgingly, she shook her head no.

"What's your name?" His voice had softened.

Wonderful. How was she supposed to explain anything? She blew a raspberry, rolling her eyes.

"Can't tell me?" he asked with a playful edge to his voice. Watching her reaction, he paused. "You really can't say?"

She shook her head. Not with this laryngitis she couldn't.

"Can you talk?"

No, she could not! Didn't the dunderhead get that from the first second? She shook her head furiously, praying for time to fast forward.

"Hey," he said gently. "Do you live around here? You need help getting home?"

No.

At the very least he seemed to get the hint that she was screwed, because his eyebrows furrowed with concern. "What happened to you?" he asked in a low voice, glancing at the sheet she'd wrapped around herself.

She didn't respond, only clutched the cloth of his shirt tighter.

"Hey," he said softly. "It's okay. Look, my family lives nearby and we can help you out, okay? Would you like that?"

What other choice did she have? She nodded vigorously.

"All right." Gripping her waist with his right arm, he slung her left arm over his shoulders and slowly paced toward the boardwalk. She still stumbled, but he was definitely helping her keep her balance. Baymax ran in front of the two, barking, and the human grinned at him.

"Hey, buddy!" he greeted. He turned his head towards the mermaid. "He's yours, isn't he? Want him to come with us?"

She nodded.

"My aunt's gonna have a field day." He rolled his eyes, although it carried a sort of fondness as opposed to the mermaid's sarcasm. "My name's Tadashi, by the way. Tadashi Hamada."


	4. GoGo

**A/N:** Back again! This chapter's a bit short and I'm a little busy with life stuff, but I'm thankful for those of you reading and enjoying the story! The fic's going to diverge a bit from The Little Mermaid from here, but it'll all tie in eventually (I hope). I really appreciate reviews and I'm more likely to update faster if I get more of those. Thank you so much, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Poor thing," Aunt Cass mumbled sadly, scrubbing at the girl's dark hair. She eyed the purple streak a couple of times, but carried on with her task. "You must have been through so much."

The mermaid didn't pay much attention to what Aunt Cass - as Tadashi called her - was saying. She was far too fascinated with the gooey stuff she was scrubbing into her hair. Shampoo, was it? It turned frothy when it rubbed and made a batch of tiny bubbles. Humans did this all the time? They called it a "shower." It seemed she knew much less about the humans than she previously thought and they had to explain every little thing to her.

Afterwards, Aunt Cass handed her a towel and showed her how to dry herself off. Dryness was a weird sensation - the mermaid had never not been surrounded by water, she realized, and the longing for the sea hit sooner than she'd thought. Aunt Cass kindly lent her some of her clothes (a black shirt and grey sweatpants, both complete with fuzzy pink slippers) before taking her to the living room and seating her on the couch next to Tadashi. On the table sat a large bowl of stringy yellow things and brown water she'd never seen before with two chopsticks perched on top and a spoon sitting by the side. She knew what chopsticks were, of course - she'd traveled to and fro around the ocean and they were quite a popular item among East Asian mermaids. "Humans eat with these!" they'd giggle.

"You must be hungry," Tadashi said, smiling. "I'm sorry there isn't more, but I didn't have a lot of time before you came down here."

This was food? The mermaid took a whiff of it. It smelled... warm. Certainly not what she was used to, but she felt her stomach rumbling loudly and tentatively picked up the chopsticks. She took the smallest bit of meat (or what she assumed was meat) and placed it in her mouth. A gush of flavor burst across her tongue, scalding it a bit, but it felt... _good_. It left a tinging sensation, too. She decided to try the stringy ones, which were a little more bland but still tasted amazing. Within seconds she'd shoved all the solid foods in her mouth and ignored the spoon completely, downing the bowl of flavored water in her mouth. Her tongue felt completely burned, but it was worth it. She turned back to Tadashi, eager for more.

"This one's got an appetite on her," Aunt Cass remarked, letting out a long whistle.

"I found her stranded on the beach, Aunt Cass," Tadashi said. "She's probably hungrier than that."

"I know, I know." She looked at the girl sympathetically. "She must suffer from some kind of amnesia - she didn't know how to use the shower or anything." When she thought the mermaid wasn't paying attention, she dropped her voice to a whisper. "Is she..." She pretended to pull a zipper across her mouth.

"Could be. But she could also be that way as a result of trauma or something."

The mermaid rolled her eyes. She had laryngitis, and she wasn't deaf.

"Sweetie," Aunt Cass said gently, placing a hand on the mermaid's. "Is it okay if I know your name?"

Her name. The mermaid frowned.

"Do you remember your name? Is there anyway you could... write it out?" She made a scribbling motion.

Of course, some mermaids could read. They had to to figure out warning signs humans placed everywhere. But writing? They'd never needed to do such a thing, and the mermaid wasn't sure she _could_.

Someone loudly burst the door open and stormed inside. The mermaid turned to look at the intruder, a short boy with bushy black hair, carrying a big plastic sack. The little boy from that night!

"Uh, can someone explain to me why Stoner Fred came in with a sack of dog food?" he asked, scowling.

"I've been trying to get him to quit," Tadashi mumbled at the same time Aunt Cass yelled, "_Hiro, your shift!_"

"Relaaaax, Auntie," Hiro said, waving his hand dismissively. "I got Fred to take over."

"_Stoner Fred?_"

"You know, maybe he'd quit if people showed a_ little_ more faith in him," Tadashi continued, still ignored.

Hiro paused as he looked at the new girl sitting between his brother and aunt, looking confused at the whole debacle. He looked back at the dog food in his hand. "I really do hope you guys have a good explanation for this."

"It's for her dog. I asked Fred to get that."

"And we're buying other people's dog food because... Tadashi, did you get a new girlfriend? Did you finally figure out Tinder?"

"No, and _no._"

The human language was full of such nonsense, the mermaid thought.

The family took time to explain the situation, adding that the dog was in the kitchen and in fact a very quiet dog. Oddly quiet and very obedient.

Hiro scratched his head. The mermaid wondered how he could even find it under that giant nest of hair. She patted her own, which felt silky and soft. She patted it some more. Her hair had never felt so pleasantly soft! Was this the purpose of the shampoo and conditioner? Her skin felt soft, too. The lotion!

"Okay, so... what's her name?" Hiro asked.

The mermaid shook her head. She didn't even know how to write.

"You don't remember?" Aunt Cass asked kindly.

"Well, we can't keep calling her 'that girl' or whatever. We gotta name her something." He stroked his chin and scrunched his face. "She's Asian, right? She Japanese like us?"

"Hiro, you can't go around guessing people's ethnicities like that."

"Well, we gotta think of something before someone names her something ugly or old like... Dolores or Gertrude."

"Dolores is a perfectly lovely name!" Aunt Cass protested.

"Yeah, if you're like, eighty."

"Then _you_ pick something."

"Naruto Uzumaki."

Aunt Cass turned to the mermaid, who was internally rolling her eyes at these humans. "If you think it fits - "

"_No. _Quit kidding around, Hiro."

"Hey, you don't know she's _not_ \- " Hiro started.

"Hiro, don't make fun of her like that," Tadashi said. "That's really not cool."

The mermaid blinked, taken aback. _Had_ he been making fun of her? Humans really had no respect. Although... She eyed Tadashi, who'd just defended her. He'd gone out of his way to help her, hadn't he? Either way, she'd find some way to get back at the younger one if he had been mocking her.

Hiro scratched the back of his neck and frowned. "Yeah, okay. She could be Chinese or something."

"Agh! I can't deal with this!" Aunt Cass exclaimed. "Tadashi, you pick one!"

Tadashi rubbed his chin in thought. "Ethel?" he prompted, watching the mermaid for a reaction. "Is that one okay with you?"

The mermaid wrinkled her nose while Hiro snorted in disgust. "Ethel? You serious? Do either of you know any names from _this_ century? We might as well be asking Fred!" His eyes lit up at the same time as Aunt Cass's.

"Fred!" they both exclaimed, Hiro in epiphany and Aunt Cass in frantic. The two leapt up and raced out the door, leaving Tadashi and the mermaid on the couch.

"Unbelievable," he murmured, running his hand through his hair. He rose from his seat and held a hand out to her. "You feel okay to walk?" he asked with a little smile.

Hesitantly, she accepted it and he pulled her up, letting her lean on him as they took small steps. She noted how much taller than her she was as she gripped his arm and immediately glanced back down at her feet. They felt much firmer to her now, and she wanted to pick up the pace. Loosening her grip on the human - Tadashi - she began to stride.

"You got it?" he asked, grinning.

When they reached the stairs, she released him altogether and, gripping the railing, nervously placed her foot down a step. Then another, and another. Confidence growing, she decided to hurry down and nearly reached the bottom when her foot slipped and she missed a step. Panicking, she grabbed the railing, but not before her grip on those slipped as well and she tumbled down the steps.

Despite her throbbing head and aching body, she heard several people gasping and Tadashi calling to her.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, are you okay?" Aunt Cass cried as she and Hiro ran over to help her up.

"GoGo!" came a throaty voice.

The mermaid looked to the source, and her eyes widened. Standing at the counter with shaggy hair and a blue beanie was none other than -

_Scuttle!_ she tried to cry, but a coughing spasm overcame her.

"What the he - _eeeck_ are you talking about, Fred?" Hiro snapped, hoisting her up as Tadashi rushed down the stairs.

"GoGo! The way she just..." Scuttle made a wave motion with his arm, whispering _swoosh_, "down the stairs! Always on the go - so let's call her GoGo!"

"That's the _dumbest_ \- " He felt a tugging at this sleeve and turned back to GoGo, who was nodding vigorously.

GoGo! That was easy to remember, and she'd give anything for them to shut up about her own damn name already.

"GoGo? You like that?" Tadashi asked in confusion. "Huh... Not bad, Fred."

"My man." Fred beat his chest, slouching and keeping that lazy look in his eyes. "Always lookin' out for you, bro." He turned to a lady at the front of the line, who looked bewildered by the whole scene. The mermaid glanced all around. There were people seated all over at different tables, some with cups and some with food. A few were still staring at her (her?), but most of them paid no attention.

"How come it's mean when I give her a dumb name but she likes it when he does it?" Hiro asked, protesting the injustice.

Tadashi rubbed his temple while Aunt Cass took the mermaid's hand. "Young man, get back to your shift right now! I'm taking... _GoGo_ to the hospital. Maybe the police station, see if she's on any missing persons list."

...

The mermaid - newly named GoGo - disliked the place they called the hospital from the moment she walked in. Everything was quiet and somber and white. It reminded her of the white coral she would swim by, corals that were once vibrant with color losing it once the water turned too warm. It was a sign they were dying. She bit her lip and fidgeted anxiously, swinging her legs up and down as one as if they were still a tail. Surely Aunt Cass wasn't hellbent on hurting her, but she didn't feel anything good coming.

Aunt Cass smiled sympathetically and rubbed GoGo's shoulders. "It's okay, honey," she said softly. "We're just going to check if you're sick or anything, all right? The doctors aren't gonna hurt you."

Mermaids had some doctors, although nobody ever went to them when they weren't sick. Honestly.

"Afterwards we're going to find out if anyone's looking for you. Okay? I'll bet there are. I'll bet they're worried sick."

She talked as if she were speaking to a child, but GoGo certainly appreciated her efforts. Maybe she wasn't one of the bad humans. She flashed her a small grin to thank her, desperately wishing she could speak.

When the doctors called her in, they made her do strange things like stand on a box and against the wall, moving metal contraptions above her head, then led her into a room where they asked her strange questions she could only answer yes or no to and they looked into her mouth and put some device on her chest. When a man came in and pricked her finger with a needle, she slapped his face and Aunt Cass threw out buzzwords like "blood test" and "DNA samples." After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor returned and droned on and on, although he did confirm GoGo's laryngitis. He also noted her walking was better, and perhaps she just needed to keep adjusting after some type of trauma.

The police station was worse. The officers sat around doing nothing except making even Aunt Cass frustrated, then moved her into another room to take pictures. Human life was such a hassle, GoGo started to think. Why did they make everything so unnecessarily complicated? In the end, they started saying things like "no records" and "missing flyers" and "homeless shelters," the last one which gave Aunt Cass a stunned expression and made GoGo uneasy. They didn't have such things in the sea - it was usually each merperson for themselves - but humans all stayed in buildings. What was a homeless shelter like?

If Aunt Cass didn't think it was good... and if she got dumped somewhere, how would she ever see them again? How would she regain her tail? She looked at Aunt Cass, almost pleadingly, waiting for her answer. Aunt Cass looked at her, then back to the officer. She clenched her fists.

"That won't be necessary," she said firmly, taking GoGo's hand and bringing her to her feet. "GoGo, we're going home."

She couldn't deny the wave of relief that washed over her.

...

"It's not much," Aunt Cass grunted, dumping a pile of blankets on what she called an "air bed," "but we'll have something better for you set up."

In the living room, Tadashi had moved the table out of the way for the bed and Hiro had come running in with pillows. GoGo poked at the bed, which made a squeaking noise. She was supposed to sleep here? She looked at Aunt Cass to confirm her question.

"It's all right," she said reassuringly. "Make yourself at home."

"_Laryngitis._" Hiro shook his head before grinning at GoGo. "I wonder what your actual voice sounds like."

She wrinkled her nose at him, but a yawn overcame her.

"Go on," Tadashi urged her, gesturing to the bed. "You've had a long day."

Feeling her eyelids grow heavy, she crawled under the sheets and rested her head on the pillow. It felt so soft and squishy, and the blankets were out of this world. She tried to stay awake, thinking of what she should say once she _could_ talk, but couldn't even summon up the strength to do that as she fell into a deep slumber.


	5. Go Faster

**A/N:** And Part 4 is ready! It's nothing major happening, but nonetheless, I hope you enjoy. Reviews greatly appreciated!

* * *

Aunt Cass slapped a card into Tadashi's hand.

"You think you could handle a shopping trip with GoGo?" she asked, smiling apologetically. "I still have the shop to run, you know, and today's gonna be a doozy since it's poetry slam night - "

"Is that why you let me skip out on my shift this morning?" he asked.

"You _what?!_" Hiro exclaimed, nearly dropping his mop. His jaw remained hanging as he glanced back and forth between his brother and his aunt. Beside him, GoGo's dog barked, leaping up and tugging on his cargo shorts.

Aunt Cass beckoned the dog over and crouched down, scratching behind his scruffy ears, to which he wagged his tail and panted in delight. From her position she looked back up at Tadashi. "C'mon, kiddo, your aunt's letting you skip out on work to go shopping with her money!" She made a wave of dismissal. "All kidding aside, she can't borrow old lady clothes forever, you know. Just let her pick out what she wants, and as long as it doesn't bankrupt us - "

"How come he gets to skip his shift for a stupid shopping trip?!" Hiro protested. The dog started to whimper.

"Because your brother has never tried to skip out on any of them before, young man," she said, standing up and looking sternly at the younger Hamada. "And he can ride a moped. Legally!" she added before he could open his mouth again.

Tadashi slipped the card into his wallet and shrugged. "Yeah, uh, that shouldn't be a problem. Is she still sleeping?" It was noon now, although he couldn't blame her. The girl must have felt drained after everything she'd been through.

"Why don't you go check? I'm tellin' ya, though - I dropped a bunch of pans this morning and she didn't so much as stir. The girl sleeps like a log."

Giving his brother one last mischievous grin and receiving a raspberry in response, Tadashi climbed upstairs as he heard his aunt calling something about clothes on the couch. He found GoGo softly snoring on the air mattress and a set of clothing neatly laid out on the couch as promised. She looked so peaceful he almost felt bad about having to wake her. "GoGo," he said in a low voice. Hesitantly, he placed a hand over her shoulder and lightly shook it. "Hey, GoGo. Time to wake up."

At last, she yawned and stretched out her arms, eyes opening slowly. Groggily, she looked up at Tadashi, who flashed an awkward smile. "Morning. Or, uh, noon?" He chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "So, uh, this is gonna sound totally weird, but..."

He had no idea how to talk to this girl, he realized. Hopefully her laryngitis had gone away and she'd be able to talk now. Hopefully nothing he said sounded completed idiotic.

"Aunt Cass - you know my aunt, right? She wants me to take you shopping. You know, for clothes. The stuff you wear." Nailed it.

GoGo, however, merely blinked in response.

_No big deal,_ he thought. _Carry on as usual._ Tadashi cleared his throat. "So, uh, if you're up for it you can get dressed and, uh, get something to eat... Oh, bathroom's right there, by the way." He pointed in the bathroom's direction, realizing too late she already knew where it was considering that was the first place Aunt Cass had directed her to the other day.

GoGo frowned and flicked his forehead, causing him to wince. Irritated, she slid off the bed and snatched the clothes off the couch, huddling herself in her blanket and waddling over to the bathroom, slamming the door. Tadashi remained seated on the floor wondering what on _earth_ was her problem before reminding himself of her circumstances and that he'd probably be grumpy too in such a situation. Maybe he should have let her sleep longer after all.

When at last she came out looking just like his aunt, he rose from the floor and led her to the stairs leading to the back door, offering to help her down. She held out a hand like a stop sign and clutched the railing, gliding down much faster and more gracefully. (He did catch her nearly slipping but figured it wouldn't be nice to bring it up.) When at last she reached the bottom of the steps, she looked back at him following her down. Her expression appeared disinterested, but he got the feeling she was waiting for a response.

"You did good," he complimented, grinning and giving a thumbs-up.

Her eyes flickered to his thumb and back into his eyes before she shrugged and turned away. This girl was a weird one, he thought, opening the door. Parked right outside was the rusty old moped. GoGo raised an eyebrow at him in confusion.

"Yeah, I know, we called an Uber driver last time, but it does get kinda pricey," he explained as he briskly walked over to the rusty old bike and swung one leg over. He picked up one of the helmets hanging from the handles and adjusted it on his head. "But this one runs okay, and it can still seat two people." The boy looked back at her with a grin and patted the vacant spot behind him.

GoGo's face remained blank, and for a moment Tadashi wondered if she had any idea what he'd just said given how much she didn't know. Regardless, she merely shrugged and slunk over, imitating the way he'd swung his leg over the bike. The way she'd pressed her lips into a thin line and hardened her eyes, as if trying to maintain a serious expression, made him stifle a chuckle as he promptly fit the other helmet on her head. She peered suspiciously at the straps, and Tadashi bit his lower lip to keep from breaking into a fit of giggles like a child.

"Safety first," he barely managed to choke out as he clipped them together. Watching GoGo return to her unimpressed expression as if to say, "_I knew that"_ broke him as he burst into laughter, much to her surprise. She wrinkled her nose and tossed a hand into the air, wondering what was so funny.

"I - I'm not laughing at you," he said as his laughter died down. He patted her shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "Just relax. Nothing's out to get you. Oh - you might want to hold on, by the way."

She leaned back and gripped the back of the seat.

"Uh, that's probably not your safest bet." He scratched the back of his neck. "My waist is fine."

He felt hands tentatively sliding around his waist; checking behind him, he noticed GoGo's confused expression. Best to take things slow, he decided. As the boy revved up the engine, the little bike sputtered to life and began to move faster. The fingers around his waist tightened and he wished he could see the look on her face.

By the time they'd reached the streets, she'd pressed her body against his back and had her arms wrapped tightly around him, the way Hiro had when Tadashi had first taken him out for a ride. Hiro had been eleven then, and he'd soiled himself (although he'd swear from that point onward that it was sweat even when Tadashi pointed out sweat was not that warm or smelly). While GoGo seemed to be his own age (how old was she, really?) and nothing like Hiro, he slowed the vehicle. Immediately he felt a weight lifting from his back and a tug at his shoulder.

"What's the matter?" he asked, quickly glancing back at her.

She shook her head urgently.

"I'm slowing down for you."

More tugging at his sleeve. They were coming to a stop light at the intersection now. He looked back at her, and she was still shaking her head.

"No slowing down?"

No.

"You want me to... speed up?"

Her eyes lit up and she nodded vigorously.

"Faster?"

Her face split into a wide grin, the first he'd ever seen on her. It almost looked... cute. He pushed the thought aside and smiled back.

"Okay. Faster." The light flashed to green and he started the engine again. He felt her lean against him again, and her grip remained just as tight. This time he took it as a good sign.

...

GoGo's eyes widened and her jaw dropped as soon as she laid eyes on the mall looming over them. As soon as her eyes flickered to Tadashi, however, she shut her mouth and let her eyelids fall, merely nodding as she strode inside. He stifled a laugh for the umpteenth time. He wanted to tell her all the fascination was okay, but he found her nonchalant act much more amusing.

"Take your time," he said, hands in his pockets. "The mall closes at ten."

After taking the sight of the interior, she stared at him, unsure of where to start. He pressed his fingers to his chin, thinking.

"Heard they opened a new store next to Forever 21 called Five-ever 22."

She shrugged, and he had to laugh.

"All right." He adjusted his cap. "So I guess we'll be looking at everything."

Internally, Tadashi was thanking himself for growing out of his middle school meme shirt and animal hats phase, but his knowledge of women's fashion remained limited. He thought perhaps GoGo wouldn't care considering how little she knew (or remembered) of daily life habits, but the girl merely scoffed at every maxi dress or floral print she tried. One vest (furry and neon red) was so ridiculous Tadashi snapped a picture to send to Hiro, contemplating on early Christmas gifts. GoGo recoiled at the flash and, with a start, grabbed the phone out of his hand. He thought perhaps he'd offended her and was ready to explain himself, but instead she pressed curiously at the button and stared at the pictures she'd taken.

"It's a camera," he explained, plucking the phone out of her hands. He lifted the cap from his head and fitted it on GoGo's and raised the phone up in the air. "Smile!"

She pulled back as if he'd asked her to run a lap around the mall just as he snapped a photo. He lowered his phone and let her look at the photo, and her eyes widened.

"Photos," he said promptly, smiling and handing her the phone. "When you take one of yourself, it's called a 'selfie.' You want to try?"

Most of Tadashi's shopping trips consisted of loitering around the mall and buying the occasional cardigan or Hiro whining asking when they could go home before ultimately pulling some mischief and the brothers having to explain themselves to the mall cops. And last he recalled, the shopping spree was strictly for GoGo. He couldn't recall being dragged around from store to store, having piles of clothing shoved at him and yanked into fitting rooms.

His protests of, "I-I'm really not supposed to - " always came too late as by then her shirt was already flying off and she was tugging at his clothing, holding sweater vests or booty shorts or some other mismatch to his face. In the first store or two he assumed she didn't really get the whole shopping concept, but by the sixth when she burst out into laughter over the ill-fitted _NAUGHTY GIRL_ crop top on his body he started hoping her voice wouldn't return on the chance she shared any of her ideas with his brother.

"Unbelievable," he muttered as she raised a peace sign with a blank expression and snapped the millionth selfie. Upon seeing the photo, she cackled and chucked it back at him with a mischievous smile. Despite his efforts to look angry, the corner of his lips kept tugging upward. He'd never heard her laugh before, and she likely hadn't had time for any kind of fun the other day. What was the harm?

After several hours, he was carrying three bags containing variants of the same outfit she was wearing - a t-shirt with some type of athletic shorts and leggings, complete with a leather jacket she was particularly enamored with. One of the salesladies had even generously given her a makeover, coating her eyelids in purple eyeshadow and finishing off with eyeliner. It gave her a rough edge, and he had to admit it looked pretty damn good. (Internally he prayed Aunt Cass wouldn't wring his neck over the price of the eyeshadow palette.)

"It suits you," he complimented as she readjusted the studded bracelet she'd gotten.

GoGo looked up at him and opened her mouth, and suddenly everything in Tadashi was on alert. Could she speak again? She had laughed, hadn't she? He leaned in ready to listen, but instead of a girlish voice, he heard a low rumbling. He pulled back, confused. GoGo shut her mouth immediately and clutched her stomach. _Oh._ Tadashi started laughing again.

"You haven't eaten all day, have you?" he asked. He took another rumble for an answer despite her frown. "There's a food court upstairs."

The food court thankfully wasn't too crowded, although it was mostly occupied by rowdy teens celebrating the start of summer vacation. Standing on one of the tables was a teenage girl declaring herself alpha of the squad much to the protests of her seated friends. At another, a group of children had their gaming consoles pulled out and were fiercely debating on when to use healing potions. Tadashi turned away from the sight and simply took the order of burgers and fries, which GoGo seemed intent on trying despite his protests that carbonated drinks and fatty food weren't the best options for a case of laryngitis.

When he returned to their table, GoGo immediately reached inside the greasy cardboard tray and pulled out her burger, watching the other customers to make sure she was holding it right before taking a large bite.

"How is it?" Tadashi asked, unwrapping his own.

She made a thumbs-up sign and returned to her meal, practically wolfing it down. Of course, it was his own fault for forgetting to at least give her brunch or something, because whether or not she was a growing girl... The thought reminded him of his question, and he decided now was just a good as time as any to ask.

"So, uh, GoGo," he started just as she reached for the fries. When she looked up, he cleared his throat. "Listen, you don't have to answer this if you don't remember - or don't want to, that's fine, but... can I ask how old are you?"

She stared at him. Had he offended her? She ignored him and drew out more french fries.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "Forget I a - "

She pressed a finger to his lips and shushed him, returning to the fries. Confused, he watched as she lined them all up in a row and pointed to each individual one. Realization dawned on him and he counted the fries. All eighteen of them.

"You're eighteen?"

She crossed her arms and smiled in satisfaction.

"Eighteen. No kidding." He plucked a fry out of his own tray and popped it in his mouth. "I'm nineteen."

She nodded and sipped her coke. He wished she could talk or they could at least communicate in sign language or something so he could tell if she was bored or listen to anything she had to say. Hoping he didn't bother her, he carried on.

"I actually don't go to this mall a lot," he said. "Mostly during the summer, I do, but I'm way too busy during the school year."

The girl pointed to the kids, on the other side of the court, who were getting lectured by one of the mall cops.

"Nah, I didn't always come with my friends. I..." His friends were... whom, exactly? There was Wasabi and Fred at college, and sure, he talked to people. He'd been well known in high school and people were amiable to him and vice versa. But with the Aunt Cass's café to help out and Hiro to watch over, especially from bullies, did he ever have time for friends outside of school?

A rapid snap of fingers in his face broke him out of his trance as he came back to GoGo, who was drinking her coke and impatiently waiting for him to finish his sentence.

"My bad," he said. "But, um, yeah, I just didn't come out here a lot."

She raised an eyebrow, suspecting there was more, but she didn't push it. They let the silence linger between them until both finished their meals.

"Did you like it?" he asked, and she nodded. "All right. I guess we should be heading back, then."

On the way out, a particular toy store caught GoGo's eye. The two looked at each other, and shrugging simultaneously as if to say, "Why the hell not?" they went in, admiring the display of action figures, legos, and robots. GoGo seemed particularly fascinated in a remote control motorcycle and engaged in a race with a girl in pigtails who looked no older than ten. Tadashi, meanwhile, bought a pack of bubblegum and watched from the counter, oddly entertained. The match ended in GoGo's victory and a high-five between the racers before she stood up to leave.

As they exited the building, Tadashi handed her the bubblegum pack. Although she accepted it, she cocked her head to the side in befuddlement.

"I'll show you how to use it when we get home," he said, smiling.

GoGo turned her head to a couple at the curb. The girl bounced in excitement, holding an opened white box in her palms while her girlfriend beamed at her in delight. "Thank you, thank you, _thank you!_" She threw her arms around her and kissed her cheek, releasing immediately and returning her focus to the box.

"Must be a new phone or something," Tadashi mumbled. Suddenly he felt a yank at his collar as GoGo leveled his head at hers. Before he could ask what on earth she was doing, she pressed her lips to his nose and released him just as quickly. He immediately felt his face burn. "What - "

GoGo, unfazed, wobbled the gum pack between her fingers.

"_Oh._" He brought his hand to his cheeks to hide the blush, although he was pretty sure she didn't care (or wasn't _aware_) anyway. "N-no, that's not... you know what, never mind." It was fine, he could explain at home. It wasn't like she knew what she was doing, and he shouldn't let it get to his head no matter how cute -

Okay. He had to stop right there.

He brushed it off until they seated themselves on the moped and her arms wrapped around him. Suddenly he felt awkward again, and he mentally slapped himself asking what was _wrong_ with him as he revved up the engine. At some point he swore he felt his ear tickle and a voice whisper.

_"Go faster."_

...

"All right, moving in, moving in," Tadashi murmured, opening the door to the café for GoGo and hauling in the rest of the shopping bags. After a long day, it was nice to finally be home -

_CRASH!_ Tadashi's and GoGo's heads swiveled to the counter, where a smashed plate lay at a middle-aged woman's feet and Hiro glared menacingly at her.

"You call this customer service?!" she screeched. "Where's the manager? It's that Cassandra, isn't it? You tell that woman her service is the most_ incompetent _\- "

"Your _husband_ seems to enjoy Cassandra's service, Mary Beth!" Hiro retorted, placing his hands on his hips indignantly.

"_What _did you just say?!"

"Moving out, moving out!" Tadashi cried, frantically motioning for GoGo to head out before the situation got uglier.


	6. Another Excursion, Another Meeting

**A/N:** This fic is so messy. But thank you for sticking with it! I'll be able to delve into more Tomadashi soon, as well as the other characters and prominent TLM scenes! Reviews appreciated as always!

* * *

Teenagers banged their tables chanting for a fight (GoGo may or may not have joined them), and Mary Beth threatened a lawyer to Aunt Cass's face before Baymax chased her out. At the moment GoGo was sitting at the kitchen counter eating salted dry seaweed - she had to admit, humans were quite talented with food and she's certainly never had seaweed this way before - while Tadashi was lecturing Hiro.

"You can't just yell at customers like that!" he cried, exasperated. "What the heck were you _thinking_, you knucklehead? And right when GoGo comes home, too?!"

Hiro looked to GoGo nervously, who merely gave a two-fingered salute. Reassured, he waved and turned back to his brother.

"C'mon, big bro, it was _one_ bad customer - "

"_The cops came asking if someone got stabbed._"

"Well, we didn't do anything _wrong_."

"Really? Do you think it looked good when you and the dog ran out after her with a broom?"

Hiro, unable to respond, merely crossed his arms and flopped back onto the couch, blowing a raspberry.

"You always do this! You_ never_ think things through before you cause some kind of trouble - "

"So I'm just trouble to you."

"That's _not_ what I said," Tadashi retorted as GoGo reached for another box of seaweed, intrigued. "You're on your way to graduating high school at age thirteen and all you do is waste your time causing some kind of mischief and not even bothering to look at colleges or do anything for your future! When are you going to start using that big brain of yours?"

"You don't even know what that lady was saying about Aunt Cass!" Hiro yelled, leaping from his seat. "And who are you to tell me what to do with _my_ future? Who cares about college?"

"Hiro, do you even realize what you're saying right now? What would Mom and Dad say?"

A tense silence hung in the air as the two brothers regarded each other stiffly. GoGo was unsure if she should stay and not make any noise or just leave. At last the younger brother broke his gaze resignedly. "How should I know?" he asked in a small voice. "They died when I was three, remember?"

Before Tadashi could respond, Hiro turned away and to his room. The sound of a door slamming followed soon after. Tadashi rubbed his faced wearily, mumbling something GoGo didn't understand. She slid off her stool, which made a creaking noise and drew his attention.

"Want some tea?" he asked in a defeated voice, slinking over to the kitchen. He didn't even wait for an answer before dumping a little teabag in a mug and filling it up with hot water. He then placed it in front of her and took a seat on the counter, pulling off his cap and sinking his face into his arms. Deciding she didn't have much choice, GoGo seated her self again and sipped the tea, which scalded her tongue as badly as the soup had.

Physically, the fight wasn't as bad as she'd seen amongst other mermaids. She'd seen scales and hair and even fins torn off before, often over something petty like some rare "present" a human had dropped. But she'd never watch humans fight like this, nor did she know they could be so drained afterwards. She almost felt... sorry.

"I'm sorry your day had to end like this," Tadashi murmured. "God, your situation sucks enough without this mess."

Sighing, GoGo patted his shoulder and shook her head. No, surprisingly, it didn't bother her. What did bother her was there was nothing she could do to help. The silence lingered again as she finished the rest of her tea and wondered. Would taking his mind off the whole fiasco lessen the pain? She reached into her pocket and pulled out the bubblegum pack, then tapped his shoulder again. He lifted his head and looked at the gum. He started to laugh, even though it wasn't particularly funny.

"Right, okay, so..." He plucked the gum out of her hands and pulled out a stick, unwrapping it and tossing it into his mouth. "So you chew it."

Chew it? That was it? She would never in her lifetime understand human habits. Hastily she popped a stick into her own mouth. On her first chew, sweet flavor gushed over her mouth and she thought _maybe_ it was good, but nothing really special. Suddenly a pink bubble emerged from Tadashi's mouth, growing and grown until... _pop!_

GoGo's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Tadashi laughed as she grabbed his arms, regarding him suspiciously. Could humans do magic? Was he some kind of land witch?

"Relax, it's super easy. You stretch the gum over your tongue..." His tongue poked out of his mouth encased in a translucent pink sheet. "... and blow." He demonstrated once again, ending with another pop. "You try."

She stretched the wad over her tongue, as instructed, and blew. It nearly flew out of her mouth. She tried again, and managed to make a tiny bubble before it burst.

"You got it!" he exclaimed.

They took turns blowing bubbles, GoGo's growing bigger and bigger until it became a contest to see who could blow the biggest one. She won, with the gum exploding over half her face. It'd turned stale by then. They spit theirs out and she wanted to pop another back in, but thought she might want to save them in case she ran out too fast. It was a nice gift, after all.

"Um," Tadashi started, cheeks pink. What now? "Um, so, listen... I know you probably didn't mean it in a bad way at all, but kissing... isn't how to say 'thank you,' if that's what you meant. Well, not in this country anyway, I really hope I'm not being rude..."

Oh, no. Not that.

"I mean... just 'thank you' is good enough. Kissing is generally..." He scratched the back of his neck. "Between... people who are dating, you know? Well, I mean, people do it platonically. Parents kiss their kids and I guess friends do it, I don't know. But, uh, we've only known each other for about a day and people might get the wrong idea..."

Yes, yes, she _knew_ what kissing was for. She wasn't an idiot.

"Well, specifically kissing on the lips would be for, like... lovers or something..."

She wished she could spell it out for him and just ask whether he was in love with her or not. Clearly that wasn't happening, since he didn't kiss her back and she wasn't joyously back in the ocean swimming along. Of course she had to learn the hard way that land was much bigger than she expected, there were far more _humans_ than she expected, and telling them all off was a moot point by now, especially with her voice gone.

"Um, yeah," he mumbled. "You should probably go shower or something. Your pajamas should be in the bags."

Without another word, GoGo went upstairs, internally cursing herself for ever going to that stupid sea witch. Before she could enter the bathroom, she heard heavy panting. Peeking into one of the rooms, she watched Hiro happily scratching behind Baymax's ears. So different from the boy who'd yelled earlier. She relaxed and thought perhaps things between him and his brother would be resolved in the morning.

It occurred to her in the shower. The thought relieved her. It _relieved_ her. Why? Why was she worried about trivial human issues? Why did she care if they were upset or happy or _whatever?_

The feeling wouldn't settle.

...

Everyone had already awakened before her, once again. She did as she was taught; woke up, made the bed, brushed her teeth, got changed. Now what? She sat back on the mattress, frowning. Her plan had been to tell the humans off, but her laryngitis posed an issue. Plan B: return to the ocean - and according to Honey Lemon, the only way to accomplish that was by making Tadashi fall in love with her and kiss her. Clearly he wasn't, or he would've responded to her kiss right away. Either humans were entirely stupid or they had some kind of complex system about them.

Frustrated, she flopped back onto her bed. What was the point of "true love's kiss" turning her into a mermaid again, when they probably would have kissed anyway if they were actually in love? Why didn't that stupid sea witch have a shred of sense in her body? And more importantly, why, GoGo thought, _why_ hadn't she thought this through instead of rushing into things? She really was no better than the humans. And now she would be stuck forever in dingy human world, with no means of returning to the sea...

No, no, this wasn't the end. Three months was the time limit. if she could make Tadashi fall for her in those three months, she'd have her tail back. But telling him off first thing would not easily win his heart. No, that would have to wait. Being straightforward clearly was not the way to go with humans, and they didn't even mate immediately afterward. So how did humans go about attracting other humans?

"You're up earlier."

GoGo's head turned to the staircase, where Tadashi held a paper cup and a paper plate with some round pastry with a hole in it. He kneeled down and placed the plate on the table, handing her the cup.

"It's coffee," he explained. "Just got my shift finished, and Aunt Cass said you could have these for breakfast. Should keep you energized for the day."

It felt hot. GoGo cautiously brought the cup to her lips, letting the liquid slowly run down her tongue and adjusting to the heat before gulping it. There was a bittersweet taste to it, and it something felt fluffy.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Tadashi's eyes shot open. "Sorry?"

She froze. She'd managed to whisper, but there was no sharp pain. Hesitantly, she brought her fingers to her throat and spoke a little louder. "I... I'm just..." No pain, none whatsoever. "Holy _shit._"

"Hey, your voice is back!" Tadashi exclaimed, ecstatically jumping to his feet. "C'mon, we should tell Aunt Cass - " He paused. "Wait... no, Mrs. Mastuda's down there... We can wait... "

"Who's Mrs. Matsuda?"

"Uh, let's just say she never wears anything super appropriate." He tugged at his collar and shuddered. GoGo decided not to push the matter and continued drinking her coffee. Not bad. "But, hey, while we're here, we can actually start talking. Um, if that's okay with you, that is."

An opportunity. Perhaps luck was on her side after all. "Shoot," she said.

"Okay, um." He plopped back to the floor and sat cross-legged. "Wow, where to start... Can I ask your name? Your real name?"

Her real name. They'd asked this at the hospital and the police station. The people at the latter had gotten frustrated when she couldn't tell them, and even more so when she couldn't write it down.

"You don't have to answer anything if it makes you uncomfortable," he added quickly.

If she said her name, they'd drag her back to the police station, or the hospital. They'd run more tests and she could be stuck there for hours. She didn't have that kind of time.

"I don't know," she said finally. "It's, uh, amnesia. Remember?"

"Right, right," he said in a low voice, regretful. "Sorry."

She shrugged. "There's a lot of things I, uh, don't remember. Like... coffee. Or gum." Another thought occurred to her. "Where's Baymax?"

"Baymax?"

"My fi - dog! Where is he?"

"He's fine! Aunt Cass just took him for a walk. He should be downstairs. He's really well-trained, you know."

Right. Humans trained animals sometimes. She was never able to communicate with Baymax on land.

"So Baymax is his name?"

"Yep." She hadn't spoken much to Baymax since their arrival. Mostly because of her inability to speak at all, but fish were simple-minded creatures. Thinking about Baymax at all kept making her think about his fish form, and fish reminded her of...

Okay. Focus.

"Next question."

He frowned, thinking carefully. "Is everything okay here? Nothing bothering you?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. You guys are all right. Speaking of, where's Hiro?"

"Wha - he's not in our room?"

"I haven't heard him all morning."

Tadashi groaned. "_No_."

GoGo followed him as he rose from his seat and scrambled over to the room she'd passed by the night before. The space was as cluttered as any mermaid's grotto, with little toys and knick-knacks and papers strewn all over the floor. Pushing the partition aside, Tadashi loomed over one of the beds, where a lump rested under the blankets. He ripped them off to reveal a pile of pillows arranged to form what was supposed to resemble a body.

"No, no, no, no," he mumbled to himself, running his hands through his hair.

"Where is he?"

"I don't know!" he cried, panicked. "Ugh, dangit, he always does this!"

"Always does what?" she asked as the two burst out of the room.

"Argh!" Tadashi didn't answer, only fled down the stairs as she closely followed in confusion.

"Whoa, slow down there, speedy!" Aunt Cass chuckled, carrying an empty tray back from a table.

GoGo nearly crashed into him as he stopped in his tracks to wave at his aunt. Humans!

"What's got you all hyped up?"

"Uh..." Tadashi'es flickered to GoGo for ideas, then back to his aunt. "Um... GoGo got her voice back!"

Aunt Cass nearly dropped the tray and she gasped as she turned to the two of them. "Really?" she squealed.

GoGo merely nodded. "S'up."

"Oh, this is fantastic!"

"Uh, yeah, real fantastic, Aunt Cass!" Tadashi chuckled nervously, tugging at GoGo's arm. "I'm, uh, just gonna show GoGo around town... Maybe jog her memory a little?"

"That sounds perfect, Tadashi, you little stinker, you!" She halfway skipped over to them to reach up and pinch his nose. "GoGo, don't be afraid to rough him up a bit if he acts like a jerk, got that?"

"Uh, that won't be a problem, Aunt Cass," she said flatly.

A wide grin split over her face. "All right. Good luck, both of you! Last hug!" She pulled the both of them in quickly, squeezing, then released. She made her way back to the counter and waved them off, turning her attention back to a customer.

"Why didn't we just tell her the truth?" GoGo asked as they ran out to the front, where Tadashi parked his moped.

"She's got her hands full as it is. We can't give her anything else to worry about with Hiro missing again." He reached for both helmets and paused, slowly looking back at GoGo, who raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you _did_ tell your aunt you were taking me out."

"Right..." He smacked himself in the head. "Ugh, I'm such an idiot."

No disagreement there, she thought.

"Look, I'm really sorry for dragging you into this - "

She shrugged. "It's fine. It's a nice chance to see the rest of the hu - ahh, city, anyway." She walked over to the moped and hopped on, promptly taking the helmet from him and adjusting it herself. "Besides, it'll be easier to look for him with two people."

He relaxed a little bit. "Whatever you say, GoGo." The engine began to purr, and within seconds it roared to life. "You like going fast, right?"

...

The first thing GoGo smelled in the air was salt. The fresh salty smell of seawater... They were at the boardwalk! It felt so strange from a human perspective. The sun beating down, the heat, the countless humans all clamoring and buzzing... it was a little overwhelming. It was even more chaotic now that they were practically running all over, trying to find a puny teenage boy in a sea of people.

"Hiro!" Tadashi called frantically. "Hiro Hamada!"

"Hiro!" GoGo echoed.

"No good," he grumbled. "He'd probably try to run away again if he heard us."

"What do you mean 'again'?" She'd been wondering this since he first disappeared. "Has he run away before?"

"He always does this when he wants to avoid work," he explained wearily. "But that's usually right as his shift's about to start. He never wakes up in the mornings. He's never gone _out_ in the mornings." He tugged at his baseball cap. "It doesn't make sense."

GoGo thought back to the night before. "I heard you two fighting last night."

He slowed. "Oh. Right."

"Could it be that?"

They both came to a stop by a fast food restaurant with a flashing sign, _MgRonald_.

"It's... agh. I don't know." Tadashi rubbed the spot between his temple. "It's complicated."

She waited patiently.

"He's just... like this. He's a smart kid, you know? He's graduating high school next year, and... Agh, I guess he feels like he can just get away with everything because of that. But he just gets into so much _trouble_ all the time, I always gotta clean up his messes." They walked on. "He wasn't always like that, though. He used to be really quiet, kinda shy."

"What happened? I heard something about your parents."

He didn't answer right away, and she thought back to his questions earlier, and how to reassured her not to answer if she didn't want to. And by far her question had been considerably less sensitive.

"You don't have to answer if it makes you uncomfortable," she said.

That made him laugh. It was such a pleasant sound, not that she'd noticed before.

"No, it's fine. It was a long time ago." He waved dismissively. "Hiro was three, and I was nine. They'd died in a car crash."

Those big machines on the street? They could really kill people? She thought back to the ocean, where mermaids were considered of age at fifteen and stopped receiving attention from their families afterwards. She hadn't spoken to her parents (or anyone else, really) since. But Tadashi was well past fifteen and, in the few days she'd known him, clearly still close to his aunt and brother. To even fathom how much losing them would pain him seemed impossible, so parents...

"It's just... I don't know. He doesn't remember our parents too well, but... sometimes I think he wishes he did."

He trailed off, and suddenly GoGo felt guilty for asking.

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't be." He patted her back. "You've barely known me for three days and you've got a boatload of problems of your own. I shouldn't be dumping mine on you."

Aside from trivial human world things like adjusting to everything, her one problem was becoming a mermaid again. It struck her odd that humans had genuine problems. Weren't they just careless, happy creatures that treated the rest of the world like trash as they pleased?

"No, it doesn't bother me. I just didn't know," she said quietly. "Listen. What if we split up to look for him? We're not getting much done in just one group anyway."

"Are you sure? What if you get lost?"

"I won't."

"But..."

"We'll meet up back here in an hour. If we can't find him, we keep looking."

He nodded. "All right. Thanks, GoGo."

The shore, Gogo thought as they parted ways. Something nagged at her to go, although that may have been because she'd been thinking of the ocean so much. Feeling daring, she ran off the boardwalk and sunk her feet into the sandy earth, ignoring the grains plopping into her shoes. Upon reaching the shore, she scanned everything within her sight. Just more people laughing and playing in the ocean. She watched the waves crashing and rolling into the sand, and she stilled. She'd never seen the ocean from this view before. She'd never come this far in _land_ before. She though about her tail, hours spent racing the other fish and singing among them. The homesickness in her heart began to overwhelm her, and she felt something well up in her eyes -

_"Boo!"_

GoGo jumped a few steps back and stared in shock as a tall, lanky blonde girl with pink glasses giggled and waved at her. It took a second to register how familiar this girl was, and then came the realization that skinny human legs had replaced chunky tentacles.

"Surprise!" Honey Lemon squealed.

"You!" GoGo gasped.

"Your voice is back! Oh, I can't tell you how glad I am - I just saw you with that boy, and _my _is he handsome! You sure know how to pick 'em..."

"You were _watching_ us?" she cried, mortified.

Honey Lemon blinked. "Well, of _course_," she said as if this was obvious. "I do have to see how my work unfolds! I've been watching you since you arrived! You are _so_ cute - "

"Okay, listen here, lady," the mermaid growled. "Your weirdo stalking aside, I have a bone to pick with you. A _lot_ of bones to pick with you, in fact!"

She blinked, taken aback. "Is something the matter?"

"The hell there is! Lemme ask you, if you really think this 'true love' crap is real, what was the point of this 'warranty' thing being him kissing me out of love within the first three months? Defeats the purpose, don't it?" She was wary that her laryngitis could return, but for now she was infuriated. "Don't you think if we 'fell in love' or whatever the hell it is, I would've kissed him in the first three months anyway?"

"Oh, is that it? Dolly, no worries, it's just a fail safe! Your 'kiss' will only bring you back to the ocean if you will it, and that's really just within the time limit if you find, ah, issues with the human world. It's a win-win, really. You have no issues staying with your prince - "

"Well, I do!" she seethed.

"I... come again?"

"I don't love him! I never have! The only reason I wanted to become human was to tell other humans off about dumping trash into the ocean!"

"Trash... Those gifts they give us?"

"The ones that get tangled up in my fin and hair all the time? Yes, _that_ trash!"

"Well... er... " Honey Lemon wrung her hands, steadfastly keeping her eyes off GoGo. "You know... there _are_ humans who do try to stop that kind of thing... Apparently it hurts their resources as well, and they do go around spreading the word and having all types of cleanups - "

"_These types of people already exist and no one told me?!_" Some people were beginning to stare at her, but she didn't care. "There was no _point_ to all this, then! I could've just stayed..."

"You... really don't love this human?" Honey Lemon squeaked.

"No," she said firmly. "I don't."

Honey Lemon brought her hands to her mouth. "Oh... oh dear..."

"What?"

"Darling, the spell was specifically designed under the assumption you loved him. If you don't..." She bit her lip. "Oh, dear, you're working under a very strict time limit."

"No."

"You really only have three months to get true love's kiss if you have any hopes of being a mermaid again. You're trapped as a human otherwise."

"Can't you make a reversal potion, or - ?"

"Transforming back and forth is one of the many abilities sea witches have, but that only applies to ourselves. We don't use magic on other creatures often, and when we do, we use sea magic that can really only affect sea creatures. And seeing as how that spell was never meant to be reversed - " For the first time, Honey Lemon's face turned solemn. "Little mermaid, you're human now. Anything I do is helpless at this point."

"No. No, no, no, Honey, you've got to be joking."

She shook her head sadly. "I'm not."

GoGo felt her stomach drop. "I... That can't be it!"

"You still have the time limit, GoGo! Don't give up!" Instantly, Honey Lemon's smile returned. "Yes, of course! You're a catch, GoGo, you're pretty, and... er... well, you've got wonderful qualities, I'm sure, just utilize that and make him fall in love with you! You'll be back in the sea again in no time!"

That didn't help much, but it did give her some flicker of hope. "Three months, huh?"

She nodded and leaned in. "The little boy you're looking for is in that direction, by the way," she whispered, pointing back at the boardwalk. "In the gift shop with all the little magnets."

Hiro! She'd nearly forgotten all about him. "I..."

"Come back to the shore if you ever need me, GoGo! I'm rooting for you!"

GoGo glanced at the gift shops to see if he was really there, but when she turned back, the sea witch was gone.


	7. Revelations

**A/N:** I'M BACK. Things are actually pretty busy, but I'm doing the best I can with updates for this crack story. Thank you for reading! Reviews are always lovely!

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_Stupid sea witch,_ GoGo thought furiously to herself. If finding lost little boys was all she was good for, she might as well have stayed in the human world as the kid's babysitter. She entered the magnet gift shop and scanned the area, walls painted in bright colors and cluttered with shiny magnets with corny one-liners. Behind the cash register, a young female employee with long brown hair and a tag reading "In Ha" leaned miserably against the counter. It would have fascinated her if she weren't preoccupied with some scavenger hunt.

Her eyes finally landed on a wild nest of jet black hair (were combs only optional to some humans?) and the rest of the child, who was shuffling several cards neatly arranged on a stand.

"Hey, you," she snapped.

Hiro whipped his head in her direction and his eyes widened. "GoGo?"

She stormed over in his direction and yanked at his earlobe, making him yelp in pain. "You absolute piece of..." She struggled to find the words. "...brat!"

"Ow, ow, ow! Let me go!" he cried, trying to wriggle free.

"Your brother dragged my ass all across the boardwalk looking for you!" she snapped, tightening her grip and shaking.

"Call the police!" he called to the employee, who was staring at them as if she were debating whether or not she should get involved.

Not knowing who this 'police' person was, she carried on. "You're coming back to the café even if it kills you - !"

"All right, all right, I'll go back, just let me go!" he pleaded.

She released him instantly, and he rubbed his ear wincing all the while. "I liked you better when you couldn't talk," he grumbled.

"So? I liked you better when I didn't have to listen to someone yakking about you not considering college." This was a lie. She hadn't minded, but she needed something other than the sea witch to be mad about as she grabbed his arm and dragged him out the store.

"Don't end up like me!" the employee wailed as they left. "I graduated three years ago and I'm still a lowly cashier!"

Before they'd even taken five steps outside, Hiro tore his arm away from GoGo's grip and glared at her. "Why's it any of your business what I do?" he yelled.

Returning the glare just as menacingly, she snarled, "It matters because your brother's had me running all over looking for you."

"So? It's not like you have anything better to do."

She was about to strangle this kid. "He's worried _sick_ about you, you know."

"Ha! He sure as hell wasn't worried enough to notice when I slipped out."

Now that was interesting, she thought, crossing her arms. "I thought he was working."

He snorted. "Whatever."

"It's not 'whatever' if I'm being hauled all the way out here just for you."

"Then you shouldn't have come for me."

"What is your _problem_?"

"What's _yours_?"

"Right now, you!"

"What gives you the right to talk?! You're barely been here three days! You don't know anything about me or my family, so why don't you just go back to that stupid beach where you came from?!" As soon as he spat out the words, his expression morphed into that of remorse, knowing he'd gone too far.

GoGo regarded him stiffly, although her face burned with... anger? Indignation? It frustrated her more to not know. "Fine," she said simply. She turned away and stalked off, biting her lip. So what if humans didn't want her? She never liked them either. If not for that wretched sea witch, she'd be back in the ocean now, free of pesky human problems, just her and Baymax. No one else. No one else.

"Wait," Hiro called, catching up to her. "Um, I didn't mean that."

"I don't care. You do what you want."

"No, I'll - I'll go back with you."

"You can meet up with Tadashi at MgRonald's. Tell him I'm out."

"No, you can't do that!" he pleaded. "He and Aunt Cass - "

She rolled her eyes and turned back to him, asking, "What's up with you? Telling me to get lost one second and to come back the next?"

He sighed with relief. "They'd just get really, really mad with me again, okay?"

"I'm sure they're mad enough about you as it is."

"Yeah, I know." He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked away, avoiding her gaze. "They're never happy with anything I do."

GoGo nearly retorted, "I can imagine," but curiosity won over. "What do you mean?"

Hiro blew a raspberry and scratched the back of his neck (looking remarkably like his brother, she noted), thinking how to answer the question. "They just like to dump me places so they can do their own thing. And if they ever notice me, it's because they're pissed at me." Crossing his arms, he leaned against the wall and continued to rant. "It's like, just because I'm some kid genius nothing I do is impressive anymore; they just expect it, like they expect me to just go straight to college and win a Nobel Prize before I'm twenty or something. So yeah, I'm pretty much all grown up, who cares about lil' ol' me, right?"

Hiro's voice grew quicker and louder by the second and GoGo wondered how long he'd been keeping this bottled in. Moreover, she didn't know someone who supposedly caused as much mischief as he did was capable of being this angry.

"And my brother has some kind of nerve to act like he's my dad? Like he totally didn't forget I existed as soon as he went to college, no, suddenly he's all _Mr. Responsible_ and taking extra jobs and projects and even frickin' surfboarding just to leave the house all the time. He can just tell me if he wants to get away from me instead of just dumping me on café duty and lecturing me all the time! They didn't even tell me when _you_ showed up." He threw a hand at GoGo, as if he suddenly remembered she was there. "I had to find out for myself."

Although he hadn't meant it, she couldn't help feeling slightly guilty, like it'd been her fault Aunt Cass and Tadashi were neglecting him. The burning feeling returned, and she'd pretty much deduced it by now. Shame. Shame for needlessly invading into their lives, shame for judging them so harshly, shame for lashing out her problems on them when it seemed they'd had enough of their own. GoGo pressed her lips into a thin line, contemplating what she should say. Nothing offensive, but nothing overboard either.

"That sucks," she said. That seemed about right.

Hiro's frown tightened. "Yeah, well."

"You miss your brother." Ugh, she sounded like Baymax. Thank god she had someone to talk to other than a fish now.

He sputtered. "Whoa, whoa, what? _Pfft_. I _live_ with the dude, of course I don't miss him. He's just on my nerves all the time, that's all."

"Really? Because you just complained about how he doesn't pay attention to you anymore."

"Uh, no, I just complained about him having a clenched butthole all the time is all."

She shrugged. "Okay. Suit yourself."

With two fingers, she beckoned him over, and the boy groaned as he reluctantly followed her, dragging his feet.

"For the record," GoGo continued, "I do think he cares. He wouldn't have gone out looking for you if he didn't."

"Only because he had to."

"I think he could have just left you to be in trouble. He could just not care about your future at all, and I'm guessing 'the future' is really important to you guys or something? Maybe he's just crap at expressing himself."

He chuckled a bit. "Maybe. That doesn't mean he can't unclench his butthole for, like, two seconds."

"Well, yeah, maybe. You could try being nicer too, you know."

"_Whatever._ He just needs to learn to loosen up, that's all."

"But it must be nice for someone to be that worried about you." GoGo hesitated before moving on. What was she saying? She'd never needed anybody; it was just fine with her and Baymax. Besides, it was the Hamadas' problem, not hers. She had no business here.

"Right," Hiro mumbled. "I'm sure someone's worried about you, somewhere. We don't know yet."

"I wouldn't count on it."

...

Tadashi checked his phone. Fifteen minutes and still no sign of GoGo or Hiro. He started tapping his foot rapidly, looking in all corners of the boardwalk. What if something had happened to them? Unlike GoGo, Hiro was unlikely to get lost, but what if he'd actually been kidnapped? What if -

"Hey, nerd."

He looked up and relief flooded him. GoGo gave a two-fingered salute while Hiro gave a small wave and grinned sheepishly.

"Heeey, big bro," he greeted.

"Hiro!" Tadashi cried, running over and gripping his brother by his tiny shoulders. "Are you okay?" He tilted his brother's head up and down. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine!"

"Then what were you thinking, you knucklehead?!" Tadashi knocked on Hiro's temple, to which he winced and their short-haired companion watched carefully. "Do you have _any_ idea what Aunt Cass would have said - "

"It was because of me," GoGo said quickly. Both brothers turned to her.

"You?" Tadashi asked. What did GoGo have to do with this?

"Because..." Her eyes flickered to Hiro and back. "He thought he'd... heard about someone who could know who I am. And... thought he needed to catch them here right away." She shrugged. "False alarm."

Tadashi loosed his grip on his brother and pulled away. Odd. Hiro was certainly far from a selfish kid, but with all the time he spent doing more mischief than work, he'd never considered him going to that length for another person he barely knew. But who was he to discredit his own little brother, who was pointedly looking away from him and shuffling his feet, for doing a good thing?

"Is that all?" he asked.

"Sure, whatever," Hiro mumbled, keeping his eyes glued to his shoes.

He smiled slyly. "C'mon, bro, you were doing a nice thing. No need for embarrassment. But, uh, seriously, you should at least answer your phone next time."

"Ah, phone, schmone. Don't you have work to get to or something?"

Work! Tadashi hastily pulled out his phone and checked the time, then shoved it back in his pocket. "Crap!" he cried, slapping his hand to his forehead.

"I thought you already did your shift," GoGo said.

"The nerd has _another_ job," Hiro explained, examining his chewed-up nails. "Meanwhile _my_ shift isn't for... another half hour? Maybe?"

"Hiro, you take GoGo home."

"Hiro can ride a moped?" GoGo asked, cocking her head to the side.

"No, the bus."

"What's a bus?"

"Agh..."

"What's she gonna do at home? Lounge around all day?" Hiro snorted. "How 'bout she stays at the store with you?"

Both GoGo and Tadashi shot him a befuddled look.

"Oh, come _on._ It's not like anybody else goes in there anyway. Honestly, I'm surprised it's still open." He rolled his eyes. "Besides, if Aunt Cass and I are going to be working, she'll get bored in the house all by herself. Like,_ super_ bored."

Tadashi turned to GoGo, who crossed her arms and shrugged. If either of them wanted to protest, Hiro clearly didn't care, as he already had his back turned and waved one last time to GoGo before walking away.

If he wasn't already running late, he'd comment on how strangely his brother was acting. But as it was, he didn't seem to have much of a choice as he hurriedly led GoGo to the gift shop where Wasabi was polishing the windows. Her eyes widened as she gazed at all the seashells and other shiny displays neatly arranged among the shelves or hanging from the ceiling.

Hearing the gasps, Wasabi pulled his attention away from the window wearing a welcoming smile. "Welcome to - " As soon as his eyes landed on Tadashi, he gave a knowing smirk. "Hiro giving you a hard time again?"

"Just have them dock me," Tadashi muttered, making his way behind the counter.

"So who's your friend?" He pointed to GoGo, who was admiring the starfish clinging to walls. "Ocean girl?"

Her head quickly swiveled to Wasabi as if in alarm. The response made Tadashi burst into laughter, as he noticed he'd been doing because of her lately.

"Her name's GoGo," he explained. "GoGo, this is my co-worker, Wasabi."

"Hello, GoGo," Wasabi greeted pleasantly, holding out a hand for her and shaking his head at Tadashi for the wretched nickname. After staring at the hand for a few moments, GoGo slapped it, causing him to yelp and pull back. "What was that for?!"

"GoGo, that wasn't a high-five!" Tadashi cried.

"What did you want me to do?" she asked, utterly lost. "And what's a 'high-five'?"

After calming the two down, the exasperated Hamada boy managed to explain the entire situation to Wasabi and what hand gestures were to GoGo, including how no, high-fives did not give her license to slap strangers upon first meeting.

"So, GoGo," Wasabi said amiably, having cleared up the misunderstandings, "how you liking the city so far?"

"It's... fine," she said hesitantly, slouching in one of the chairs by the windows.

"And, uh... any luck with the amnesia?"

"Nope."

With no customers (Hiro had a point, how _was_ this store still open?) and at least five more hours to spare, conversation didn't seem the most easygoing of tasks. And what if GoGo would be uncomfortable talking about herself, seeing how little she remembered.

"So, 'Sabi," Tadashi asked, leaning against the countertop. "How's the study abroad thing going?"

"Not bad, actually!" he responded, relieved at the topic change. "The professors were pretty impressed with my essay, if I do say so myself. Right now it seems like it could be France or Singapore. Could you imagine Singapore?" He grinned widely, like a child dreaming of the Christmas gift they'd always wanted. "Do you know how clean it is? They've outlawed chewing gum because they can't have people sticking it everywhere. If only _some_ people had that kind of sanitation here..."

"They outlawed_ gum?_" GoGo blurted, glaring at them from the corner. Tadashi stifled another laugh, although this wasn't he conversation he had in mind.

"It's only sanitary. C'mon, gum's not even that good anyway. Or, okay, maybe it is," he added hastily, watching the look on her face. He set the surface cleaner aside and slinked into the inventory room.

"What does he know about Singaporean gum laws anyway, am I right?" Tadashi asked her, winking. Perhaps he should buy another pack on the way home. He called back to his friend. "Any other countries? Like China?"

"Do you know how bad the pollution is there?" he retorted, reemerging with a large cardboard box of seashells.

"The pollution's bad _here_."

"Touché."

"Wouldn't I know," GoGo mumbled, examining her nails.

"Right?" Wasabi exclaimed. "How hard is it to find a trash can?" He shoved the statues and shells collecting dust to the back of the shelf and started to restock. "People honestly have no consideration."

"Mm-hmm, i hear ya - " Her eyes widened once again as she reached for a nautilus shell and snatched it from the shelf. "Lemme see!"

"H-hey, you can't do that!"

"What's that?" Tadashi asked, walking over to peer at the stolen item.

"I forgot about these," she murmured, examining it closely.

"Society has rules!" Wasabi was yelling from the corner.

"What do you mean 'forgot'?" Tadashi continued.

"These were my favorite. I remember when I was little I used to hunt for them all the time - "

"This is anarchy!" Before Wasabi could carry on, he stopped himself and he and Tadashi exchanged a look of awe.

"'Remember'? You remember something?" Tadashi asked ecstatically.

"I..." Her expression quickly turned sour as she tore her eyes away from the shell. "No. That's the extent of it. Yep. Only memory."

"Are you sure? Because - "

"Look, just drop it, okay? I don't remember anything." She narrowed her eyes at him as her fist remained clutched around the shell.

He knew that look. It was the look Hiro carried whenever something particularly humiliating had happened at school and he didn't want to relive it. Tadashi had seen it enough to know whatever she was hiding, it'd only be worse to press the matter. On the other hand, she wasn't Hiro, and something kept tugging at his conscious. How could he do nothing for someone who needed help?

Her eyes bore into his until he swallowed and quietly said, "Okay."

"Sorry about that," she muttered to Wasabi, setting the shell back where it came from.

"That's all good," he answered, tweaking it so that it remained in exact alignment with the other shells. "You know, GoGo, we got a lotta inventory and plenty of time to kill... You wanna help restocking?"

"This your way of getting free labor?" Tadashi asked, jokingly raising an eyebrow.

"I'm down," GoGo said, plucking some knick-knacks from the box and tossing them from hand to hand.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, careful with that!" came the panicked cries of the neat freak.

...

GoGo picked up pretty quickly. Every now and then she stopped to gawk at some sea creature plush toys and figures or even laugh at a tacky knick-knack, but she moved fast. If her attention to detail had matched her speed, Wasabi likely would have begged someone in upper management to hire her on the spot. For the few customers who did enter, she was surprisingly knowledgable about marine life and would throw in a sarcastic comment about how lazy or clingy the fish were. Needless to say they'd brighten considerably by the end of their purchase.

"Nice work, GoGo," Tadashi complimented, admiring the handiwork. Part of him was nagging to ask how she knew all those things and if some memories had returned during her time at the shop, but he remembered her reaction from earlier.

"Not bad," Wasabi added. "But seriously, pay attention to the alignment next time."

"It was all right," she said, shoving her hands in her pockets.

"Hey, just got a text from the night shift folk. They'll be in in a few. Why don't you guys go on home and I'll watch the place 'till they show up?"

"You sure?" Tadashi asked as GoGo started for the door with a two-fingered salute.

"C'mon, man, I know the stuff Hiro pulls when you're not keeping an eye on him. Better show up before the kitchen catches fire again."

"You know what, you're right," Tadashi said as GoGo paused and asked, "Again?" He opened the door and thanked his friend as he led GoGo out.

She watched the sky for a bit, which had turned a warm pink color. The noise at the boardwalk had died down a bit as well, and more families had started packing up their beach equipment.

"How'd you like the shop?" he asked as they started pacing down the boardwalk.

"It was nice," she said.

"You... knew a lot about the shells and stuff."

"Yeah, well." She bit her lip. "Guess I just... remembered something. Unconsciously." She looked to him warily. "What Wasabi said - Hiro really gets into trouble a lot, doesn't he?"

This again. Tadashi sighed. "Well, you know, he's probably just having a rebellious phase. There's really no helping it."

"What if you were home more? You could stop him before he does anything."

"I wish. I mean, I got college to pay off, and I can't keep watching him when school starts again."

"And this 'college' thing is really important?"

"It is! I remember our parents always pushing us - 'go to college, go be successful.' You know how it is with Asian families. College is everything. You go to college, you can get a job, and you'd be able to put food on the table. And my brother's more than smart enough for it! He's graduating high school at age thirteen and he's got recruiters pouring in from all these different schools and he's not even _considering_ it! I mean, he was going high school at the same time _I_ was!"

GoGo nodded, seeming to follow. "He went to... _high school_ with you?"

"Yeah. Granted... it wasn't easy." He scratched the back of his neck. "He had a hard time fitting in at first since he was so much younger than everyone else. He was clinging to me all the time. Not that it was a problem, of course, I mean it was my job to take care of him, but... now I'm in college. I have to think about our future. You know? I need to focus on my career so we're not so worried about supporting ourselves all the time, and ever since I graduated he's just been goofing off while I'm trying to get him to - " He stopped as he felt a sharp flick to the forehead. "Ow!" He gaped at GoGo in confusion.

She lowered herself from her tiptoes and rested her hands on her hips. "You worry _way_ too much, mister."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. I know this 'college' stuff is really important or whatever, but that's really all you talk about. Take a break, would you? And I don't mean just nagging Hiro. He's kind of a turd. But this stuff looks like it really stresses you out. No wonder humans die so soon!"

"Humans...?"

She grabbed both his cheeks and squeezed them. "Lighten. Up. The future's totally important, but so is now. And right now, maybe you just need to set things straight with your brother."

Upon releasing him, Tadashi rubbed his reddened cheeks irritatedly. "What things?"

GoGo shrugged. "I kinda had a talk with your brother when I found him. Bottom line - he just wants your attention. That's why he acts like a brat, even if he won't admit it."

He stared blankly at this girl, who'd just dumped more insight on him in a few days than Wasabi or Fred ever had. "Seriously?"

"For a supposedly smart guy, you really don't notice these things. I know you care, but there's ways to show it aside from worrying and working for something that's not even here yet." She turned away and kept walking. "That's what I think, anyway."

Keeping his eyes glued to her, he wondered what it was about her that made him smile so easily. The constant misunderstandings and questions about mundane things like buses and utensils, yes, but there was also this. How quickly she seemed to pick up - not just on new techniques, but on other people. Her bluntness was surprisingly refreshing to top it all off. How often had did everyone else tiptoe around the subject so not to offend him?

"Whatever, it's stupid," she said quickly.

"No, it's not." He reached for her shoulder, and she stopped in her tracks. "Thank you. I mean it."

She turned her gaze away. "Whatever," she said again.

He pulled away and chuckled. "You must've had a lot of friends, you know. You're good with people."

The sky had darkened considerably so her expression had been hard to discern, although he faintly heard her mumble, "I wouldn't count on that."

...

Nothing had exploded, nobody was screaming. As they unlocked the doors, they heard laughter and Baymax's barking, followed by soft mews.

"No way," Tadashi whispered, dashing up the stairs with GoGo following close behind. On the living room floor was Hiro lying on his back giggling wildly, toppled by Baymax and a fat cat with caramel-colored fur.

"Is that..." Tadashi began, hardly daring to believe it.

"Mochi's back!" Hiro exploded, sweeping the cat up and running to his brother. "I found him on the front steps when I came home!"

"Mochi?" GoGo asked, leveling her face curiously to the cat's.

"Our cat!" the older Hamada exclaimed. "He's been missing for two weeks!" Gently, he took Mochi from his younger brother and softly rubbed behind the ears, much to the cat's pleasure.

"And he just... came back."

"You try," he offered, lowering Mochi to her. She imitated his way of scratching behind the ears and was met with low purrs.

"You know," Hiro said, grinning at GoGo, "I think you're a good omen."


	8. Missing You

**A/N:** It's finally here... an update. Thanks for being patient and for the nice reviews!

* * *

"GoGo, let's go downtown! They're having - " Hiro caught his older brother's eye and cut himself off, smiling innocently. "Anyway, it's the weekend, so things are gonna be kinda busy."

GoGo never needed to be told twice or coached to hurry up, a trait Hiro delighted in. Within seconds she had her bag slung over her shoulder and her sneakers on, popping the pink bubblegum she'd developed an addiction to.

"Hey, you need anybody to come with this time?" Tadashi asked, lifting the wet rag off the table he'd been wiping. "I could drive - "

"Um, nah, we're good, bro," his brother interrupted hastily. He tugged at the sleeve of GoGo's trademark leather jacket. "_C'mon_, we'll be late."

"We won't be long," she called with a last glance, swinging the café doors open. Tadashi waved good-bye, watching her lightly punching his brother's arm before they dissolved into the crowd. Resignedly, he returned to wiping the table.

Whatever happened between the two since Hiro had run away to the boardwalk, it seemed to work out for the better. Over the past few weeks, he'd gotten more talkative than usual, frequently calling for her.

"GoGo, do you want to go to the beach?" "GoGo, want to play video games? I'll show you how!" "Hey, GoGo, have you heard of laser tag?" "GoGo, there's a cop chase going on down the street, let's watch!"

With GoGo to occupy his free time, keeping Hiro in line had been less and less of a problem. He'd actually started adhering to his work schedule, and fewer fights ensued between him and... well, anyone. If he acted up at all, one disapproving look from GoGo made him get his act together more than any hour-long lecture from Tadashi or Aunt Cass.

As relieved at Tadashi should have felt (and certainly he _was_ relieved), he couldn't help asking himself how a random girl with no identity could reach out to his own brother in a matter of days whereas he'd failed for over a year. He stopped scrubbing. That was mean. She wasn't some girl with no identity, just someone in a tight spot. She was probably going through severe trauma and actually making positive changes in their family matters when she was the one who needed the most help. She even stopped by the gift shop to help out and chat sometimes. He should remain thankful, end of story.

_"He wants your attention. That's why he acts like a brat, even if he won't admit it."_

And yet Hiro only chose to spend his free time with GoGo. Tadashi's surfboard lay flat against the wall in their room, untouched since the near drowning incident. He'd hoped to teach him one of these days, but...

He moved on to the next table.

...

"Tadashi? I think we're out of lightbulbs." Aunt Cass wrinkled her nose, scrutinizing the shelves in the cupboards. At the foot of the chair she was standing on, Baymax leapt up and nipped at her ankles. "Really sorry to do this to you, kiddo, but you mind running out to get a few?"

Tadashi glanced out the window, where the sky hard turned a navy blue but the distant sound of bustling and traffic echoed through. He then looked back to Hiro and GoGo, who were sitting cross-legged playing videos - Hiro groaning and clutching his head while GoGo maintained her usual stoic expression.

"Not a problem," he said, reaching for his keys and swinging them around his finger.

"You're going out?" GoGo asked, popping her bubblegum and keeping her eyes glued to the screen.

"Yep. Wanna tag along?" He smiled slyly. "I'm taking the moped."

Her head snapped up. "Sounds good," she said, standing.

"But I've only gotten three wins!" Hiro cried.

"It won't take too long. Besides, don't you have dishes to do?"

Hiro shrugged but rose from the floor. "But you're coming back quick, right?"

She ruffled his hair as he protested loudly, half-heartedly swiping her away. Tadashi watched as he hurried to the sink and GoGo walked briskly to the door. "Well?" she said, hand hovering over the knob.

Why she never tired of the rusty old thing, he had no clue. He'd just taken to asking her if she wanted a ride virtually anywhere instead of watching her fumble for excuses to tag along. (Although that was pretty hilarious, he had a conscience.) When they arrived at the store, she stared at her helmet a little regretfully.

"I think we might be running out of gummy bears, too," she said as Tadashi browsed through the lightbulbs. "And bubblegum."

"All right. Anything else, your highness?" he joked as he placed the bulbs in the basket.

"Seaweed." She frowned. "That's it, I think."

"Seaweed it is." He watched her pop her gum in satisfaction as they moved to the snacks aisle. "I didn't know you liked gummy bears too, though."

She shrugged. "They're okay. Hiro's the one that eats most of it."

"Ah." Thought so. "Do you like hanging out with him? He can get a little... hyperactive."

"It's fun. Did you know you can shoot water out of your hands if you squeeze really hard? I didn't know hu - people could do that."

"Sure. I taught him that." He winked.

"You did?" Her eyes widened in fascination. "Come with us next time!"

"You really want me to? I'm not gonna be some kind of killjoy?"

"What kind of killjoy rides a moped? Of course I want you to, stupid." She punched his arm, which made him flinch a bit. He also felt his cheeks flushing although she didn't seem to think much of her invitation. Which she shouldn't. It was just an invitation.

"Yeah, but I thought you guys..." He stopped talking. Anything he said was going to sound weird, probably. And how pathetic was he to sound jealous of his brother having fun for once?

"What? You have other friends?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope, I'm a free agent," he said, rubbing his arm before popping his eyes open. "I mean, no! I mean, yes! I mean... I have friends. I definitely have friends." Ugh, pathetic, pathetic.

She rolled her eyes. "I know, genius. I've met Wasabi."

"C'mon, I have friends outside of Wasabi." Good going, Tadashi. That didn't sound desperate. He almost mentioned that Haddock kid he'd invited to his house in fourth grade before remembering he had to shoo him out early when Hiro gashed his head on the edge of a bookshelf. And what kind of friend was he to not even remember a first name?

"Uh-huh."

"And..." He had to cover the tracks, right? He thought back to that girl who'd asked him to prom, Ana, whom everyone had dubbed "Toothy Ana" or "Toothiana" because of her dentistry obsession. But of course he hadn't gone to prom because Hiro had gotten badly sick and Aunt Cass was handling poetry night at the café. Besides, she'd ended up going with that bad boy type Jack, anyway. "There's Fred."

"Ew."

"And, uh... Did you just say '_ew_'?"

"I think he lives under a bridge," she said dismissively. He chuckled, even if at the expense of his friend.

"Pray tell why you think he lives under a bridge."

"He just looks like it!"

"I'll have you know he considers his home a mansion."

"Have you ever been to his house?"

"Well, no, but still."

She tossed a pack of seaweed in the basket and snapped her fingers. "You want anything?"

"I'm good."

"Not even the Hello Panda cookies?" She raised an eyebrow.

Tadashi paused. "How - "

"I don't eat them. Hiro hogs the gummies. And Aunt Cass likes to watch her calories. Answer?" She stood on her tiptoes and flicked his forehead.

"Ouch. You got me."

Not two seconds before they ended up buying the pack of cookies along with everything else, GoGo eagerly rushed out the door and yanked the helmet off the handlebar of the moped, beckoning Tadashi over.

"Hey, the moped's not going off without us," he said, flipping his own helmet in his hands.

"Whatever. Just start the thing."

Tadashi stopped mid-flip and gripped the helmet, straps dangling. "Why do you like it so much?"

"Hm?" GoGo asked, only giving partial attention as she adjusted hers.

"Why do you like riding this thing so much? You're always in a hurry to use it."

She crossed her arms. "I don't know. Why do you like surfing?"

"Fair enough," he said as he shrugged and swung a leg over the seat, GoGo immediately following suit. "It's pretty chilly. You want my blazer?"

"Just go."

Tadashi snorted, thinking GoGo was GoGo and nothing was ever quick enough for her. Revving up the engine, he felt her grip on him tighten and her body press against his back. She always kept still whenever they rode, never speaking a word as he sped just a little more than he had to meet her satisfaction. It was surely a major change from a shrimpy boy who always leaned back and barely held him by the shoulders, boasting loudly into his ear.

"Ride's closed for the evening, ma'am," he joked as they hopped off when they arrived home. "Next available admission will be..."

"The wind," she said absentmindedly, holding one of the shopping bags.

Probably voicing a random thought aloud. "Hm. Is 'the wind' code for something?"

She smacked his arm. "No, you weenie. I'm answering your question."

"What question?"

"About why I like riding so much." Her fingers hovered over the handlebars. "Because... You know that feeling, when the wind blows in your face, and there's just this..._ rush_ that comes over you? It feels like... flying, like the whole world is yours. And you feel like you can do anything." She blew a raspberry and rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I probably sound stupid."

Tadashi shook his head. "No, you don't. Really. That almost sounds beautiful."

"You know what? Shut up forever," she snapped, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm not making fun of you!" he protested, waving his hands.

"Whatever. Aunt Cass probably wants the stupid lightbulb already," she grumbled, reaching in her pocket for the key.

"I could teach you how to ride it, you know," he said quickly.

GoGo's hand froze and she slowly turned her head back towards him. "For real?" she asked in a pitch higher than usual, as if she'd just been told she won the lottery.

Tadashi nodded solemnly. "I mean, you'd have to do some permit test and stuff first, but I could totally teach you sometime. It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it."

"You swear?" She released the knob and pointed a finger at him.

"Swear it," he promised, holding out his pinky finger.

Her eyes traveled between the finger and his face. "Is this another weird thing you... people do?"

"It's called a pinky swear," he chuckled. "Just wrap around it with your pinky finger."

She did as instructed, and the two shook. Her finger was so slim and tiny compared to his. "Is this like a blood oath thing?"

"Well... consider it so without getting too painful." He reached for the door for her and dropped his voice to a low whisper. "For the record, I like surfing for the wind, too."

...

"Do you wanna go for another round of laser tag today?" Hiro asked, rubbing Baymax's side as the dog panted in pleasure. He leaned in and whispered inconspicuously, "Or how about we sneak into to another wrestling ring?"

"Hmm." GoGo sat cross-legged and leaned against the wall of his room, stroking Mochi. "Don't feel like doing anything too crazy today."

"Yeah, me neither," he said, resting his bushy head in the mass of white fur. "Did Tadashi really say he'd teach you how to ride a moped?"

"Well... he said something about tests? But yeah."

"Oh, boy. If he ever finds the time, I can just see it." He shot his eyes wide open and pretended to yank his spiky hair in panic. "_Oh no! Slow down! You're going at five miles per hour! Hit the breaks, hit the brakes!_" Gritting his teeth together, he steadily pushed his arm into a straight line and made skidding noises, finally slapping his forehead and muttering, "Unbelievable."

GoGo snorted with laughter and looked over to Baymax, who simply cocked his head to the side with a whimper. Well, what could he say even if he could talk again, anyway? He was a fish.

A fish.

GoGo stared at Baymax, panting as Hiro rubbed his belly and cooed what a _good boy_ he was. She turned her vision back to her own legs, which she pressed together and wiggled slightly as if they were still a single tail. She could take a bath now, she supposed, but the tub was so tiny and the water tasted so bland and it was only the afternoon.

"Do you want to go to the beach?" she asked quietly, not taking her eyes off the cat.

"Right now?" Hiro asked, propping his head up. "Snowcones?"

"Yeah. Snowcones."

It hadn't occurred to her until the two were already halfway into the bus ride that Tadashi was probably at work now, and she'd invited him to accompany them the next time they went out. Oh, for crap's sake, why was she caring again? Because she would learn to ride a bike. Yeah, that was it.

Hiro didn't question GoGo's urgency at eating their snowcones by the ocean, perhaps having grown accustomed to her odd questions and requests by now. Over crunchy ice and colorful tongues, she listened attentively as he chattered endlessly about whatever his youthful self was concerned with, including his devious plan to hurl water balloons at Chris Something-sterston's crew for that time in junior year when he his research notes mysteriously ended up in the school toilet.

"That was _weeks_ of blueprints, you know! They don't all just come easy, and just because I'm 'school genius' - " His cheeks reddened with frustration, and he took a large bite out of his ice which immediately made him clutch his forehead.

"And you think water balloons are the solution?" GoGo asked.

"Well, they won't be filled with _water_," he grumbled.

"You know, I think even that's too mild. Do something bigger. Back up his water pipes. Send his girlfriend a tip he's cheating."

"_Nice_. Man, do you know how great it is to _finally_ have someone who knows how to have fun in the house?" He buried his mouth back into the ice and pulled out with a toothy grin and blue lips.

GoGo ruffled his unruly hair with a tiny smile. She leaned forward to continue eating her snowcone only to pause as a shadow overcame it. Strange. The sun couldn't be setting just yet.

"Hiro? GoGo?"

The two looked upwards and found a boy's face hovering over them, donning a baseball cap and awkwardly waving.

"Bro!" Hiro exclaimed, chips of ice flying out of his mouth. Tadashi immediately frowned in disgust as he wiped his face.

"That would be me," he said flatly as Hiro tugged at GoGo's sleeve and pointed, cackling.

"Thought you were at work," GoGo said.

"Got off early," he explained. "Someone broke the windows and the owner wants it fixed before we re-open. You got a seat for one more?"

"Fine, but you get your own cone. I'm not sharing my spit with you," Hiro said.

"I'd say you've already broken your own moral code," he sighed as he sat cross-legged by GoGo's side.

She pressed her lips in a thin line. Shouldn't he be sitting beside his brother? Ugh, why did that even matter? It was a stupid seat.

"What were you guys up to?" he asked.

"GoGo wanted to come to the beach."

"Just to relax a little," she said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Yeah, I do that sometimes." Tadashi nodded, turning his attention to the ocean while his brother dug his nose further into his nearly finished cone.

"I think you two have very different ideas of relaxing," Hiro said, raising his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

"You are literally the only one with any of those ideas, Mr. Wee-Wee in the Ocean," Tadashi snarked.

"Aunt Cass told me you did the exact same thing, so _ha!_"

"Ew, you two are _disgusting_!" GoGo exclaimed, horrified.

"Sweetheart, the only disgusting thing here is your attitude," Hiro said dramatically, leaning over and jabbing his finger into Tadashi's chest.

"Um, _honey_," Tadashi drawled in a saccharine voice that made the other two snort with laughter. In the end, he couldn't bring himself to finish and he joined them in their childish giggles.

They talked more of their ventures, how Tadashi had picked up surfing during some lifeguarding job he'd taken the summer before and the time Hiro had made a smoothie from ancient pizza slices found in the back of the fridge and had ultimately cost Tadashi's prom night. GoGo asked more about surfing (starting to feel nauseous herself after hearing the pizza story), which he went more into detail about and offered to let the two of them try sometime.

"From you? I guess, if I want to drown..." Hiro joke, ultimately receiving a noogie.

With that conversation dead, GoGo turned her attention back to the waves rolling and crashing. They seem to sparkle under the setting sun with a calm blue color, tinted with a warm orange, not the dark murky mass brimming with life she'd always known. In comparison to humans running and shouting giddily about, her ocean felt... empty. Bringing her knees to her chin, she pushed her legs together like they were one again, itching to dive in and feel the cool water touching her skin and her hair floating free.

_"Make him fall in love with you! You'll be back in the sea again in no time!"_

She'd been a human nearly an entire month and that was nowhere near close to happening. How could she have been so stupid? Rushing into a decision over stupid trash even humans themselves were tired of. She'd never speak to Baymax again, never swim as a mermaid again...

"Hey," Tadashi said quietly, hovering a hand above her shoulder, "you okay?" Hiro turned to glance at her, too.

GoGo pulled away, keeping her eyes off him. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Do you feel sick?" Hiro inquired.

"No. Yes. I don't know!" Her eyes felt hot and watery, but she refused to blink. She pressed her fists to them, desperately hoping they wouldn't notice. "I-I have... something in my eye." Yeah, _that_ seemed natural. "Stupid... sea air." Aggressively, she wiped her eyes. "Hate the ocean."

"You wanted to come here," Hiro said, confused.

"I know! I don't know!" she cried, throwing her hands in the air.

"Shh, hey," Tadashi hushed, gently grasping her hand and lowering it. "What's wrong?"

She clamped her teeth over her lower lip, hoping to keep it from trembling, but she blinked and hot tears rolled down her cheeks. Tadashi placed his hand over her shoulder, and she burst into sobs, burying her face in his chest as she clutched his collar. She felt arms wrapping around her and rubbing her back.

"I miss home," she wanted to say, but it came out broken and muffled.

"Should I call an uber?" Hiro whispered to his brother, scooching closer and placing his own hand on her shoulder. "Aunt Cass told me you took the bus, too."

"I want it back," she murmured through sobs and shudders. "I want... I want everything back."

Tadashi nodded. He continued patting GoGo, who was no longer wailing but still sniffling into his shirt. "Hey, it's okay," he said repeatedly. "It'll be okay."

At last, she pulled away, wiping her eyes and feeling embarrassed for such an outburst. She sniffed and wiped her eye, exhausted. "You don't know that," she muttered.

"Look," he said gently, lowering his face to hers with a solemn expression, "I'm not giving up on you. You'll remember everything, you'll find your old friends and family and home..." He trailed off suddenly, opening his mouth and closing it. He glanced at Hiro, whose expression was frozen. GoGo waited until he turned back to her and smiled shyly. "For what it's worth... I'm glad we met you."

Hiro nodded eagerly in agreement. "Yeah. I bet... I bet your family and friends and stuff... miss you. A lot."

GoGo thought of that murky ocean again, of the fish and the other mermaids and the words she'd never spoken to them.

"I don't know."


	9. Not According to Plan

**A/N:** The next chapter is finally here! Sorry for the supremely long wait. Life happened. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy this one. I'm planning to do something very exciting with the next one, so there's that to look forward to. (I think you'll all know what that is at the end.) Reviews are encouraging and lovely as always!

* * *

Aunt Cass hesitantly curled a hand around GoGo's shoulder with a sorrowful look in her eyes. GoGo wished she could tell her there was no point in constantly checking with the police, nothing to wait for. She wouldn't even be dealing with this if she hadn't lost it and cried like a big baby.

Aunt Cass seemed to sense what GoGo had already anticipated. "I'm so sorry," was all she could say.

GoGo looked away and shrugged. "It's fine," she mumbled. "Really."

The middle-aged woman smiled kindly, albeit painfully, and headed to the kitchen. "Well," she chirped, trying to keep a positive face for her, "let's not have an empty stomach, huh?" She reached for the pots and pans hanging on the walls and smiled at GoGo from the counter. "I'll take care of dinner, sweetie. Don't worry about it."

GoGo shrugged again and dragged her feet to the living room, where she found Tadashi petting Mochi on the couch and Hiro rubbing Baymax's belly on the floor. At the sound of her footsteps, they looked up anxiously. Her sullen expression only meant one thing.

"I'm sorry," Tadashi said delicately, as if unable to find the appropriate words.

"Yeah, that sucks," Hiro added, although GoGo swore the corners of his mouth twitched. Tadashi must have noticed too, because he eyed his brother warily.

"Whatever," she muttered, flopping onto the couch next to the older Hamada. "Pretty sure no one's looking for me anyway."

"You don't know - " he began.

"If they're not, we can clear out the garage for you," Hiro offered, springing to his feet. Baymax did not budge from the floor. "Instead of the airbed."

"Hiro!"

"_What?_ You heard her! Nobody's looking for her!"

"We don't know whether or not that's true," Tadashi said firmly.

"Well, think about it, bro. Why haven't they found her already, then? It's been, like, almost a month."

"Hiro, you _know_ there's probably a reason for it. They could still be looking for her. Maybe there was an accident - "

"Right! Accidents!" Hiro tossed his hands in the air in exasperation. "So you're telling me every single person she knows on the friggin' planet got into an accident, and _that's_ why we haven't seen so much as a flyer!"

Tadashi's voice rose. "That's enough, Hiro."

Both the brothers' faces had reddened. Mochi scampered off Tadashi's lap and leapt into GoGo's.

"Yeah, go ahead! Just shut me up every time I make a point - "

"What point?! You're not making any points, you're just being insensitive about things you know nothing about - "

"I know if you really cared about someone, you wouldn't abandon them!" He was yelling by now.

"You have no idea what they were like!"

"With no way of seeing you ever again! You don't ever, _ever_ abandon someone!"

Once again, he'd gone too far. Tadashi slammed both his hands on the coffee table and, like a bomb that had timed out, exploded with fury. "_Hiro, shut the hell up!_"

Before either could continue, they were met with slam to the face by a cushiony force. As As the younger rubbed his cheek and the older rubbed his temple, both shot a look at the perpetrator, who glared fiercely whilst clutching a throw pillow in each hand.

"You two," she seethed, "are _idiots_." She chucked the pillows back on the couch and swiveled her back to them. "I don't wanna deal with this anymore. I'm leaving."

"_No!_" the boys shouted instantaneously.

GoGo rolled her eyes and faced them with an exhausted expression. "_To the kitchen_," she clarified.

Neither responded, developing a sudden itch on their necks and examining their feet.

True to her word, she marched into the kitchen and yanked out one of the stool chairs, slamming her head on the counter.

"What went on over there this time?" Aunt Cass asked casually, setting down a bowl of steaming chicken wings fresh from the stove. Despite how miserable she felt, the scent GoGo inhaled was utterly appetizing.

"They're just fighting about stupid stuff again," she grumbled, reaching for a wing. "How do I get them to shut up?"

Aunt Cass snorted. "Believe me, if I had that figured out, I'd have that many less wrinkles on my face."

"I literally spelled out their issues for them, and they just..." GoGo shook her head and bit into one of the wings. The skin was wonderfully deep-fried and crispy.

"Well, you can't expect all their problems to just evaporate like that," the woman chuckled. "And you can't just force them to work it out. Give it time. My sister and I could get pretty nasty - and I mean even worse than what you saw out there - but that never stopped us from having a good ice cream together after soccer practices." She sighed fondly at the memory, reaching for a wing herself.

"So being at each other's throats all the time is... normal?" GoGo asked, completely lost. "That sounds... annoying."

"It's not a _good_ thing, but it happens. Sometimes over little things, sometimes more serious. But in the end, they're brothers, and they look out for each other. Besides, they're too old for me to run in and tell them I don't care who started it anymore. Most people grow out of it at some point."

"Why can't they just grow out of it now?"

Aunt Cass laughed. "Just gotta be a patient little lady. That's never really been one of your strong points, if I might say."

"What do you mean?" GoGo raised an eyebrow.

"Tadashi tells me about how you always want him to go faster on the moped. And I notice how much you like to rush things - don't be afraid to just slow down, go with the flow sometimes." She chewed a wing. "Dang. I should really copyright this recipe, don't 'cha think?"

GoGo mulled over what she'd said. Well, _of course_ she had to work fast if she wanted to get anything done. How else would she get back home otherwise? But then again... how else had she landed in this situation? She hadn't given a second thought to meeting the sea witch. Or becoming human at all. Her eyes loomed over her third half-eaten wing before she eventually took a slow, small bite.

Aunt Cass curled a comforting hand on her shoulder, smiling. "One of the nice things about it, though, is you pick up things pretty quick."

"Yeah?"

"You're taking everything all in so well. Better, I think, than anyone else in your situation. I'm proud of that."

Proud. No one had ever told her they'd been proud of her before. Hardly anyone had spoken to her at all back in the ocean. She wasn't sure how to feel about that, other than overwhelmed.

"Thank you," she said, barely above a whisper. For the wings, for being proud, for taking her in, for... "You know, another thing about that is... I could be of some use at the café. If you want." She shrugged.

The woman pushed the bowl of wings closer to her and grinned. "That's lovely of you."

Whether that marked acceptance or rejection, GoGo didn't know, because after a sudden slamming noise, a weary nineteen-year-old rubbing his forehead stumbled in with a groan.

"Hungry now, are ya?" Aunt Cass asked in a playfully sarcastic tone.

"Your soap opera's on," Tadashi mumbled, taking a seat beside GoGo and facing neither of them.

She tossed a few wings in a smaller bowl and sauntered off to the living room. "There's more in the pan," she called.

Wordlessly, he reached for a wing and yanked the skin off with his teeth.

"You look happy," GoGo commented.

"I'm stupid."

"No disagreements."

"Why can't I do anything right?"

"Beats me."

"Okay, not helping," Tadashi said, eyes shifting to her. He took a deep breath. "How do you do it?"

GoGo stared at the wing in is fingers. "Uh... I mean, I just chew it. Sometimes I peel off the skin first. Why, is that wrong?"

"Not the wing, you dingus." He was mimicking her tone whenever she snapped at him, and it made her snort. He flashed a grin and continued. "How do you get along with Hiro so well?"

"Uh... like...?"

"I mean... he always listens to you. He goes to you first for anything. I mean, that's great I guess, but... he hardly does the same for me. And I'm his brother."

"Uhh, I don't know. I save his butt sometimes."

"So have I! Since day one!" He tossed his chicken bones into the growing pile of remains. "Whenever I try to talk to him, he just blows me off. And now we've just had... Well, _that_."

She contemplated her answer. "I don't know. I guess I just don't have as much to argue about with him," she decided. "Sometimes he just comes to me to complain. And I let him. You know, not talk over him or anything."

"I don't - "

GoGo raised an eyebrow.

Tadashi opened his mouth, then clamped it shut. "It's just... I've never yelled at him like that before." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm such a jerk."

"Nah. I know your parents are kind of a touchy topic."

"How - "

"Look, I may have called a fork a dinglehopper, but I'm not _that_ stupid."

He sighed. "I forget he doesn't really remember them sometimes. And I keep getting pissed off whenever he talks about them so flippantly, but..."

"Just let him run his mouth once in a while. Works for me."

"I judge him too harshly. I'm a horrible bro - _ow!_" Tadashi scratched his head and glared at GoGo, who had straightened her hand into a karate chop position. "What was that for?!"

"Remember when I told you to loosen up?"

"Do you always have to resort to physical violence whenever you have some life lesson?"

"Yes. Give yourself a break, will ya? You're not getting anywhere feeling sorry for yourself all the time. That just pisses me off. Do what you gotta do. Just let him complain to you without judgement or whatever. I think you're more than capable of that."

Tadashi held his gaze on her. "We complain a lot to you, don't we?"

She shrugged. "I swear to God, Tadashi. I really don't care. No memory, remember?"

"It's just... you're so easy to talk to." He stared at the remainder of the chicken wings and smiled. "Probably why Hiro runs to you all the time."

"How so?" she asked curiously.

"I guess... it's like you said. You don't judge me when I'm talking about my stupid life. You just let me go on and you're honest about everything. It's nice."

GoGo felt her face tickle with warmth as she tore her eyes off him. "Yeah, well," she mumbled, "it's not like you gave me a hard time about being an idiot in the hu - ahh... you know, basic stuff."

"That wasn't your fault, though." He stifled a chuckle. "But it was pretty funny sometimes."

"Fight me, dickweed." She balled her hands into fists.

"You wanna go?" he bantered, grinning.

"Say goodbye to that pretty face."

Before she could throw a fake punch, he squeezed his palms against her cheeks until she vaguely resembled a pufferfish.

"Hey!" she cried, voice somewhat muffled.

"Fight me, GoGo," he teased, moving his palms slightly so her cheeks squished in all sorts of places.

"Ash-hole!" she said among other garbled noises.

When at last he released her, he turned his attention to the remaining chicken wings and slid off the stool. GoGo followed suit. "I should give the rest to Hiro. He's probably been too mad to go out and eat."

"You gonna be all right in there?"

"I have to apologize sooner or later." He smiled at her. "Thank you, by the way."

"For what?"

"For putting up with my crap."

She looked away, feeling her cheeks flush. "I should be thanking you." Without warning, she felt a pair of arms wrapping around her and pulling her in, pressing her body gently against his chest.

"Call it even?" Tadashi suggested.

Her face burned and her brain scrambled for a response. Instead, her mouth refused to open and her heart thumped a million beats a minute. She felt his grip loosen - no! He couldn't see her face! Thoughtlessly she shot her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shoulder, then immediately regretted her actions. What would he think of her now?

When at last they pulled apart, GoGo kept her eyes glued to the floor and Tadashi reached for the chicken wings, clearing his throat.

"Go talk to your brother," she said hastily.

"Yeah," he agreed, and within the next second he was out of the kitchen.

She wouldn't have known if he'd seen her face, but it was a good thing if he hadn't. It was still fiercely scarlet, and she swore her heartbeat sounded like obnoxiously loud drumming.

No. No, no, no. This wasn't how she planned it at all.

...

_You're stupid. You're stupid. You're stupid._

The self-deprecating thoughts echoed endlessly. It wasn't enough that he'd probably driven her nuts with his nonstop whining, but now that he'd pull that stunt? There was no telling what she thought of him now. In his haste, he flung the door open and watched as Hiro's head sprung up from the bed like a jack-in-the-box.

"GoGo! I - " His excitement dissipated as soon as he saw it was his brother in the doorway. Without another word, he fell back on his pillow lifelessly.

"Brought you chicken wings," Tadashi offered.

"I'm not hungry." A low, rumbling growl betrayed his words, and he immediately rolled over.

Unfazed, Tadashi sat at the corner of his little brother's bed and placed the bowl on the nightstand. "Hey." When no response came, he pressed further. "They're wings. Your favorite?"

"I said _I'm not hungry_."

He sighed, cringing at the memory of his stupid self just a few moments before. "Look... I'm sorry about what I said. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

"I don't care about that!"

"I'm sorry whether you care or not." He pulled legs up on the bed and crossed them, which clearly irritated Hiro as he started to twitch. "I... I haven't been a very good brother to you. I haven't been listening, and... I just yell at you over stupid stuff."

Hiro was very still, but Tadashi couldn't stop.

"I shouldn't do that. Your feelings are important, too. I'm sorry."

"If I say we're cool, will you stop sounding like a Care Bears special?" Hiro asked flatly, lifting his head from the pillow.

"What was that quote again? Uh... brotherhood is magic?"

"It's '_friendship_ is magic,' you... ew, never mind!"

"Unbelievable."

Hiro bit his lip and clutched the sheets. "Well... to be fair, I was kind of a dick, too. I didn't mean that stuff about..." He trailed off. "I... I know they didn't _really_ abandon us."

"It's okay," Tadashi said softly. "I understand."

"No, you don't." He shook his head. "It's just - it's not fair. I never even got to know them. But you did."

The older brother didn't say anything. Was this what had been bothering him all along?

"Tadashi... Why did they leave? Why was a stupid new year's party more important than us?" His voice sounded so small, and suddenly he was that toddler begging to sleep with his big brother because of bad dreams. And suddenly Tadashi was remembering the night they went off to a friend's new year's party and left them at a babysitters', how they stayed up late into the night waiting for parents who would never come home.

"I don't know," was all he could mumble. Truthfully, he'd thought about asking them the same thing sometimes.

"It's so stupid. People are always leaving us."

Suddenly the pieces were starting to come together, and he wanted to smack himself for not noticing the obvious earlier. "This is about GoGo, isn't it?"

"I mean... if no one ever comes back for her, she doesn't have to go, does she?" Hiro asked. "Aunt Cass wouldn't kick her out. And - before you start - I _know_. People are probably worried for her. But..." He stopped himself, unable to find anymore excuses. "You know, just go ahead. I know I'm a selfish brat."

"You're not," Tadashi said quickly. "The last thing I want is for her to leave us - " He felt his throat tighten. Did he hear himself correctly?

Even Hiro caught on, because his eyes snapped open. "Really?"

"Well - " He could feel his cheeks coloring. "She's - "

"You _like_ her?" Hiro gasped, like a scandalized old lady.

"Of course I like her!" Tadashi retorted. "I mean, as a person - "

"But do you..." He leaned his and dropped his voice to a low whisper. "Does she make your ding dong go - "

"Eat your wings!" Tadashi prompted, suddenly rising from the bed. "I'm gonna take a shower."

"Tadashi Hamada, don't you dare ignore me!" Hiro cried, grabbing the bowl and hopping off the bed. "It's not that hard! Just make a move! Go on and _kiss the girl_!"


	10. Kiss the Girl

**A/N:** Aaaand here's the long-awaited "Kiss the Girl" chapter! I had a lot of fun writing this, especially Hiro's POV. (I figure the boy's talented in many, many fields. He graduated high school at thirteen, after all, and I was lucky to pass pre-calc.)

Thank you for the reviews! They're encouraging and mean a lot.

* * *

Tadashi liked GoGo.

Tadashi _liked_ GoGo.

Tadashi _liked_ liked GoGo.

Hiro felt like he needed several seats, and he was already sitting. Of course he wasn't a stranger to Tadashi's hormones (sadly). After all, he wasn't _hideously_ ugly and Hiro had definitely noticed his admirers in high school, but it wasn't like he'd ever given his brother the slip. If someone dared to make a move, he'd always have some story up his sleeve of something mean they'd said about him. How would his brother pay attention to him and protect him from bullies otherwise?

In retrospect, he probably wouldn't have turned out a workaholic loser if he had the chance to socialize. But still. This was _GoGo_ of all people. Amnesiac girl from the beach who had a new insult for Tadashi every day and tried to stab someone with a fork once. Moreover, this was someone who liked Hiro, defended him, and whom Hiro actually liked back. Much as he hated it, his fears crawled back. What if Tadashi tried something, and it weirded her out so much she decided to leave? But if they got together, would they be so caught up in their romance they'd go back to ignoring him? Not that it even mattered; GoGo still lived with them...

GoGo lived with them. Even if she rejected him, where else could she go? The thought unnerved him, to have the two people (admittedly) closest to him living in constant discomfort with each other. But if she _did_ like him back, no matter how unlikely that was... She wouldn't be the type to just ignore Hiro. She'd defended him too many times for that. But certainly she'd have more reason to stay, even if whoever had lost her came back to retrieve her. Nobody would be so cruel to tear apart a blossoming romance, right?

Hiro poked his head out of their room to make sure he could still hear the shower water running, then scampered back out to the kitchen where GoGo was finishing up the dishes and popping her bubblegum like always. He cleared his throat to catch her attention.

"So," he said.

"Mmhmm?" was her response as she placed the pot in the dishwasher.

"Why do you put it in there? Aunt Cass usually leaves it on the counter."

"Because there's more space in there," she said promptly, drying her hands with the towel. She eyed him with a mischievous grin. "Your brother's still in the shower, right? Want to use that rubber snake now?"

That seemed hilarious, but that wasn't his purpose at the moment. "Why the sudden interest in my brother?" he asked, gobbling the chicken wings ravenously.

"What sudden interest?" she said sharply, nearly dropping the towel. "There's no interest."

She'd taken the bait - the reaction only encouraged him. "You're right," he agreed. "I mean, I've seen the way you act around him, and I am _pretty sure_ there's _something_ going on - " (He was lying through his teeth. He never cared for whatever they did alone until now.)

She playfully slapped him with the wet towel. "You have an... overreaching imagination."

He tapped his temple with a finger. "Hey, now. It's this imagination that got me graduating high school at age thirteen."

"Can your imagination figure out what to do with the rubber snake, then?"

An attempt to change the topic, _and_ her face was even a little pink. Most people would just laugh it off or calmly say no, wouldn't they? Hiro brightened considerably. "I'll jush shneak it in hish bedsheetsh," he said, mouth crammed with chicken meat. He sauntered back to the hall, brimming with ideas, and not even Tadashi's scream upon pulling off his blankets could deter him from his mission.

...

GoGo wasn't lounging on the couch eating potato chips as usual in the morning. Had Aunt Cass sent her and Tadashi on another errand? Hiro scurried downstairs to the café and scanned around until he spotted GoGo speedily setting coffee and pastries on tables and heading back to the counter for more. Tadashi was at the register as usual, talking to her with a playful grin while she flicked his forehead in response. For whatever reason, it seemed GoGo had started taking shifts at the café. And that gave him time to go back to his room and make a phone call.

"Hiro?" a low voice answered.

"Wasabi! Good ol' Wasabi!" Hiro greeted enthusiastically.

"What's going on? You haven't called me since..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Look - I need your help."

"What did you do this time?"

"I didn't - " Okay. He had to stay focused. "It's Tadashi. He likes a girl."

"And that's my business because..."

"It's GoGo!"

"GoGo? For real? I'm... surprised but not surprised. But what do I got to do with this?"

Hiro cleared his throat. "Listen here, old friend..."

...

Wasabi frowned with utmost discomfort, meticulously arranging and rearranging the positions of his eating utensils. Fred just slouched in the corner, mouth hanging open and eyes oddly red. However, neither of them seemed trustful of Hiro. (Well, to be fair, Fred's eyes were totally blank of emotion.)

"Stop looking at me like that," Hiro protested.

"With all due respect, Hiro... you can't really expect us to buy this story of wanting to hook your brother up with GoGo out of... 'the goodness of your heart,'" Wasabi said, using air quotes.

"Why do you always assume I have some ulterior motive?"

"Dude! Remember when you convinced me to tutor Julie Lam in physics? And I found... _crude_ bumper stickers on my car not five minutes after our session ended?" His brother's co-worker crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat, leering suspiciously. "All I'm saying is you've never exactly been the most trustworthy. Right, Fred?"

"Are you _really_ sure this burrito isn't radioactive?" he slurred, poking at his sandwich.

"Ugh..."

Hiro opened his mouth but found he couldn't argue with that. He took a large chomp out of his burger. "Fine. You don't have to trust me. But I _swear_ if you help me on this and it works, I'll do whatever I can to return the favor. Anything!"

Taken aback, Wasabi stared at him as if he'd grown a tail. "Why is your brother's love life so important to you?"

Hiro waved his hand dismissively. "Details, details. C'mon, don't you want your friend to be happy? You know he's too much of a blockhead to notice if the feeling's mutual. And I think GoGo's too stubborn."

"I suppose..." Taking a deep breath, Wasabi stabbed a fork into his salad. "Okay, let's just say... We're going along with your 'plan.' What exactly do you want us to do."

Sighing with relief, Hiro launched into his explanation. "Well, Fred's rollin' in dough. That explains itself. And you're not just Wasabi's friend, you're - "

"Hiro, if you're going to say what I _think_ you're - "

" - my old orchestra conductor!"

Wasabi tossed the fork down, groaning. "First of all - I don't want _any_ memory of that. Second of all, you quit."

"Well, yes, but I'm not the one that's gonna be playing any instruments here." He smirked. "Now, which kid sang lead and won first in the region's junior choir competition just a few years back?" He pointed at himself with his thumb.

"I thought your school won second runner-up."

"You know that judging was complete BS!" Hiro blurted.

"Whooooaaaa, time out," Fred said, eyes widening. "Lil' man was in _choir?_"

"Aunt Cass put me up to it," he grumbled.

"He was pretty good," Wasabi admitted, "until he decided to quit to start a rock band."

"I totally could've if my drum set hadn't caught fire!"

"Wasn't that your fault for trying to electrify - "

"Ohh, dude, it's totally like issue #82 of The Green - " Fred started.

He had not taken the time to come out and receive slander. "All right, all right! Anyway, here's what we're gonna do..."

Midway through his elaborate plan, he heard a woman giggling at what to him was the peak of his plan. He peered over at the next table - was someone eavesdropping? The only match was a tall blonde woman dressed in yellow and red glasses daintily drinking her smoothie. She'd probably just remembered something funny, he thought, until he swore she winked at him just as he turned away.

...

"You did good today," Tadashi said, smiling as they reached the top of the stairs.

"I pick up fast," GoGo mumbled, stretching. "Any plans for today?"

Tadashi shook his head. "Still fixing the window in the shop. If we're lucky they'll remodel the whole place - I'm surprised we get customers at all, really."

"And Hiro's out of the house, so..."

Tadashi halted. It was just him and GoGo in the apartment. If he hadn't just had that "talk" with his brother the other night, it would be all fine and dandy, but now he felt an air of awkwardness. Was she implying...?

"... looks like I get the TV to myself," she finished, flopping onto the couch and reaching for the remote.

He flushed with relief and embarrassment. Of course. "What do you like watching?"

"Wrestling sometimes, but I found some _really good_ crime shows on that Netflix thing..." She faced him. "Unless there's something you like?"

He shook his head. "I don't watch a lot of TV."

"Seriously? How _do_ you have fun?" She tossed the remote at him and popped a bubble. "Pick a movie. Anything."

Tadashi snorted and shoved her playfully. "Okay, _your highness._" With no preference, he picked the first movie that popped up, which appeared to be some sappy romance. Approximately fifteen minutes in he decided to never bring GoGo to a theater, as throughout the film she made nothing but snarky obnoxious commentary.

"Are you _kidding_ me? _You've known him three days!_" she yelled at the screen as if she could will the characters to do her bidding.

"Biofact: it's probably because of these bad examples that fifty percent of marriages end in divorce," Tadashi added, somewhat enjoying her rage.

"Ugh!" She flung her legs to the other end of the couch and leaned against him, crossing her arms in frustration.

Tadashi inhaled sharply as his eyes slowly darted to her. Her eyes were still glued to the screen, but she'd willfully did that, hadn't she? After all, she could've put her feet on the coffee table... Then again, Aunt Cass had that no-feet-on-the-coffee-table rule. And he was reading too deeply into things again. Cursing himself, he leaned back and relaxed so her head wasn't resting on anything stiff.

"Just tell him the truth," GoGo murmured irritatedly.

Indeed, romantic movie characters really lacked no sense, as the couple had a heated argument in the rain.

"Why do you keep pushing me away?" the man was shouting to his lover. "What have I done wrong?"

"You don't understand!" the woman wailed. "You'll never understand!"

GoGo shifted a bit to make herself more comfortable; now her head rested in the crook of his neck, and he dared to rest his own head against hers. The people on the screen began changing, too... The woman's hair shrunk, turned black and grew purple streaks. The man, on the other hand, grew taller and started donning a baseball cap. In the end, it was him screaming, "Because I love you!" He locked her in his embrace, and they began kissing fiercely...

Tadashi would have slapped himself if GoGo hadn't been leaning against him. In the end, the woman died and left the man to wallow in his misery for the rest of his sad, lonely life.

"Well, that was..." he began.

"Terrible," GoGo finished. "So many problems they could've easily avoided if she just..."

He nodded. "Wanna watch something with a lighter mood, or...?"

She shook her head. "I think I'm done with movies for now." She took the remote and shut the TV off, but didn't budge. She must've been tired from her first day of work, and she looked so peaceful relaxing he couldn't bring himself to disturb her.

"You hungry?" he mumbled.

The girl remained still, and he took that as a no. He hadn't anticipated her next question.

"Do you really want to get rid of me?"

"What?" He nearly pulled back in shock. "What on earth gave you that idea?"

She pulled her knees to her face and rested her chin on them. "Last night, when your brother wanted to make room in the garage for me... I dunno. You didn't seem too happy about that."

"That's not it!" Tadashi protested, turning to face the back of her head. "It's just - he was implying no one was coming for you, and I was just - "

"I've told you a million times that no one's coming! Probably," she added hastily. She turned back to him with a harsh glare. "But you just keep insisting they will, that someone will pick me up eventually! Tell me, do you want me gone so bad that _that's_ your excuse?"

"Of course not! I just don't see why anyone would ever leave you!"

Now would be a good time for the ground to open up to swallow him with no trace of his existence. GoGo drew back, looking astounded, and his hand itched to grab one of the pillows and shield his burning face. It was she who broke the silence.

"You don't know that," she said quietly. There was some confidence in her response, and the fact that this girl - this exciting, honest, funny girl - believed it so genuinely struck something in him. Tadashi didn't know if it confused or angered or saddened him or all three.

"Well," he said, swallowing his embarrassment, "if what you're saying is true, they have no idea what they've lost."

"You - "

"I _do_ know that."

"What if they did come back for me, though?" She bit her lip. "What if I left and... and you never saw me again?"

He forced a chuckle. "In what situation would that happen? Of course we'd see you again. We've invented phones and the Internet, for crying out loud." He had to laugh. The hypothetical was unnerving.

"But if you couldn't?" she insisted.

"Then I'd find a way. We'd kidnap you back if we had to, just so we could watch crappy movies and ride the moped and feed your bubblegum addiction a million times over."

She didn't meet his eyes and kept chewing her gum. Trembling, as if not allowed, he reached out and brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face.

"You always have a home here," he said simply.

She caught his hand and didn't release it. "Even if I leave?"

He let the words tumble out of his mouth, not even trying to stop because he knew, deep down, they were true. "I'd miss you too much."

Her grip tightened, as if it kept her anchored to something. "I have to tell you something - "

Whatever she had been about to say, he never heard, because the sound of stomping footsteps interrupted them. GoGo immediately released Tadashi's hand and repositioned herself to look like she'd been watching TV the entire time, and he did the same.

"_Yoo-hoo!_" Hiro hooted, waving a brochure in his hands. "Miss me, you ol' lovebirds, you?"

"We're not - " GoGo started.

He slapped the brochure on the table and continued. "Remember our filthy rich friend, Fred? His dad's sponsoring that boating event tomorrow - "

"Boating event?"

"Yep, with lanterns, music, the whole shebang," Hiro said, waving dismissively. "Anyways, they kinda want to change up the theme or something this year, and uh, they'd really like some people to test it out and see if it's... appropriate first. And Fred suggested you two."

"Us?" Tadashi asked, pointing to himself and GoGo.

"Yep! I can't make it because... I'm... helping set up."

Tadashi glanced at GoGo, who looked uncertain. "Come on," he urged, smiling. "We hardly ever get to do anything fun, just the two of us."

She grabbed the brochure and peered at it as if examining a new alien species. "I've never been boating before."

"Well, here's your chance."

"Yeah, you don't want to miss out on an _experience_, do you?" Hiro encouraged. "Unless the dude over here has a date with, like, Ocean Girl or something - "

Tadashi shushed him, making flat shaking motions with his hand while GoGo looked lost.

"Ocean Girl?"

"Not important. So do you wanna go or not? Once in a lifetime!" the younger boy persisted.

The corners of her lips lifted, and she blew a bubble. "Sure. It couldn't hurt."

"Oh, good, because I already told Fred yes," Hiro sighed, maintaining his too-wide smile.

"Unbelievable," Tadashi murmured, running hand over his face.

"Oh, GoGo - I was thinking we should go shopping today."

Tadashi and GoGo exchanged a confused look. Hiro never suggested shopping. It was usually Aunt Cass dragging him to go and buying him the exact same outfit every time.

"It's for the event," he said flatly, a little annoyed.

"I... guess?" she answered.

"Okay, great! Out of curiosity, what size do you wear?"

...

The older Hamada slouched in the living room couch, tapping his foot impatiently. He could not for the life of him understand how and why his younger brother had suddenly become a fashionista, at least for tonight. The boy even kept running in and out of their room (where GoGo was changing) to give "suggestions." Perhaps she'd talked to him about it sometimes, but her wardrobe mostly consisted of casual black attire. Whatever the case, he'd been dragged into wearing the white dress shirt (although he approved the black jeans). What was even more curious was why Hiro and GoGo were taking so long if it was just a boating event. Furthermore, it was a test-run of sorts, wasn't it?

At long last, the fourteen-year-old stepped out of the room looking extremely accomplished.

"I think you'll be thanking me after tonight," he said smugly.

_Hiro, what did you _do? Tadashi thought in a panic, wondering if he'd done something like try to build a rocket ship in their bedroom. He watched the door open with a gradual creaking noise, preparing for the worst, as tiny feet in black flats crept out. Tentatively, the figure crept out of the shadows until Tadashi did a double take.

A sleeveless pastel blue dress with a black collar and belt replaced her usual leather jacket and tattered shorts. Her hair had been neatly combed and tied with a tiny blue ribbon on the back, and her makeup had even been applied to look less intimidating and more youthful.

"You..." he began, struggling to find words.

GoGo fiddled with her skirt.

"Hiro, did _you_ put on the makeup?"

Hiro crossed his arms and grumbled while GoGo's signature irritated face returned, making her much more recognizable. "_To - be - fair,_" the boy seethed, "I'd have to be a pretty damn good artist or I'd never get any blueprints done."

"Language!"

"Hurry up or they're gonna be wondering where we are," GoGo snapped, popping her bubblegum.

All three strode down the stairs, where Aunt Cass was overlooking poetry night at the café. She turned to wave good-bye to her kids and, like Tadashi, took a double take.

"Getting real fancy tonight, aren't ya?" she said, almost laughing. "Oh, GoGo, sweetie, you look_ beautiful_."

The girl saluted in thanks.

"Hiro, why aren't you - "

"Well, it was lovely chatting with you, Aunt Cass, but we're gonna be late so if you don't mind - " Hiro said hastily, practically shoving the two out the door.

"Have fun for me!"

...

The boat wobbled and could only move in zigzags at first, and it took the two a while to accustom themselves to the new task. Once they did, however, the waters seemed to calm, and they could peacefully enjoy the colorful lanterns illuminating the night sky and the cool breeze of the evening.

"This is nice," Tadashi said, feeling much more relaxed.

His companion nodded. "I've never really felt the water this way before."

He shook his head and smiled, thinking GoGo was GoGo. His rowing slowed for a bit, watching her admire the fireflies dancing across the lake. "I've never seen these before, either."

"Hey. Looks like you still got a lot to experience."

"Don't remind me."

"No, I didn't mean - " He gripped the oars more tightly, wishing more than anything to drown. "Did I tell you you look nice tonight?" She raised an eyebrow. "I mean it. You look beautiful."

She turned back to the fireflies, although she now wore an amused smile.

"I mean, in general this is pretty fun," he continued, unable to shut up. "I think some music could liven up the place..."

"I used to like singing," GoGo said. "Stupid laryngitis had me scarred for life, though."

"Maybe that was the universe telling you they've had it with your voice."

She leaned forward and flicked his forehead, which made him laugh. "You wiling to bet you're so good yourself?"

"Well, no. I'm the last to get the mic at karaoke." He thought back to Hiro's reminder the other night, the forgotten reason he hadn't returned to surfing. "I never got to explain to you who Ocean Girl was."

She crossed her legs. "No. Pray tell."

He told her about the surfing incident, how his first conscious memory was the voice on the beach. "I've been meaning to find her, you know. To say thank you for saving me. But it's a big city and she's probably long gone by now."

He hadn't anticipated GoGo's reaction - at the moment, she looked completely bewildered. "Was this... was your brother with you?"

"Well, yeah, actually. Why?"

She fidgeted with her skirts again, and she bit her lip. "Well... Okay, here's the thing..."

Once again, she couldn't finish her sentence, as roaring orchestral music nearly shattered their eardrums, followed by a booming operatic voice.

"_VERBO ET OPERE! LIKE FIRE! HELLFIRE! THIS FIRE IN MY SKIN! THIS BURNING DESIRE -_ "

Just as suddenly as it had started, the music ceased, followed by a distinct smacking sound and a, "_No_, you _moron!_" Before either could register their confusion, a much softer melody played, with gentle drumming and winds.

"_There, you see her, sitting there across the way..._"

"Is it just me, or does this singer sound familiar?" GoGo asked, glimpsing around for the source.

Tadashi shrugged. "I say just enjoy for now?"

"_She don't got a lot to say, but there's something about her..._"

The earlier confusion dissipated, and soon GoGo was tapping her fingers along to the rhythm.

"_And you don't know why, but you're dying to try, you wanna kiss the girl..._"

The two smiled awkwardly at each other. His heartbeat started speeding up as he noticed the way her warm brown eyes glimmered, how her silky hair with violet streaks fell in front of them.

"_Sha-la-la-la, my oh my, looks like the boy's too shy, ain't gonna kiss the girl..._"

He leaned forward to pull that pesky strand out of her eyes, noticing far too late how little space there was between them.

"_Sha-la-la-la, don't stop now, don't try to hide it how, you wanna kiss the girl_..."

Her pink lips, full and smooth and shimmery with gloss.

"_Sha-la-la-la music play, do what the music say, you wanna kiss the girl..._"

Was it just him, or was the distance between them closing?

"_You've got to kiss the girl..._"

He let his eyelids fall.

"_Why don't you kiss the girl..._"

Any moment now...

"_GO ON AND KISS THE GIRL!_"

The boat beneath them lifted, and without a second to react, he felt himself plunged in cold murky waters, the last thing he could hear being muffled screams.


	11. Vanessa

**A/N:** This chapter was a real head scratcher because I had a real tough time figuring out how to make things fall into place paralleling the film while also sticking to the characters'... well, characterization. I think it worked out okay in the end, though, and despite this being a just-for-funsies thing. To address a few comments - I purposefully made no mention of San Fransokyo so readers could envision the setting for themselves! Personally I imagine this to be any modern-day Californian city. I guess it could be San Francisco, but LA would make more sense (because of all the beaches lol). Also, I tend to not reread my chapters before posting them, simply because I'm lazy. But recently I've looked back and found a glaring number of typos that my regretful ass will have to go back and fix (one day... eventually... ... . ) Rambling aside, I hope this chapter's enjoyable until we reach the climax! Thanks for the positive reviews, always appreciated. 3

* * *

Honey Lemon wondered whether or not flipping the boat over was the right choice. After all, if the mermaid no longer wanted to be a mermaid, she wouldn't. But suppose she wanted the kiss to make her a mermaid again! Honey had not watched a romance develop so deeply for it to be ripped apart in an instant! And both parties would be miserable - the mermaid would regret her decision and the boy and his family would miss her dearly.

But now neither was speaking to the other. Honey didn't know if she'd ever met a more frustrating mermaid. If only she had _told_ her her true intentions from the beginning... Although the mermaid had probably suspected she'd never agree if she had. How could she agree, when King Callaghan himself despised humans as much as the little mermaid did? She was so young, of course she wouldn't have known the entire story. The first mermaid Honey Lemon ever changed. Her resulting punishment, to live in isolation.

Well, the king was _wrong_. And this mermaid would not be another mistake. Swimming to her cauldron, she furiously hurled and cast every ingredient thinkable. It was time, she thought, to take matters into her own tentacles.

...

She could hear him clearing his throat, but instead of turning to face him, she merely grabbed the order and sped over to the table. She avoided Tadashi's eyes whenever she came back, never talking except when she needed to know which order belonged to which customer if Aunt Cass was busy. Eventually he gave up, and if she so much as took a glance back, his face was filled with dejection.

For the past week, it was like she had laryngitis again, except GoGo had no will to speak. It seemed everything in her had shut down, and all she wanted was to ram her head into the wall over and over. Even Hiro's energy dissipated completely, and she wished she'd never agreed to that stupid boating event.

Tadashi almost kissed her. She was _that_ close to becoming a mermaid again if that boat hadn't flipped over. But when she thought over it, that never crossed her mind when he was about to kiss her. Her only thought was that more than anything, she wanted to kiss him back. That for the night, he was hers and hers alone. And if she were to be completely honest with herself, she wasn't even sure if she missed the ocean as much as she'd miss him.

How disgusting, the amount of trouble she caused. She knew it was wrong, that she shouldn't just push him away when he'd been so kind to her, but conflict was already arising in her. Why had she let herself get so attached to humans? Why had she distracted herself so much from her original mission? If she hadn't, if she hadn't...

The second her shift ended, she threw off her apron and dashed up the stairs, pretending not to hear Aunt Cass asking what the rush was.

...

Tadashi waited for Hiro to call him an idiot, or for Aunt Cass to ask what his knuckleheaded self was thinking, but his family was unwilling to compromise, and it made him feel worse. But the most terrible feeling was that GoGo wouldn't talk to him at all, and he wanted nothing more than to go back in time and slap his own face for trying to kiss her. He'd obviously freaked her out, and now she was a nervous wreck in their own home, disgusted to be around him. He tried apologizing at first, but he could hardly get a word in with her. And maybe he deserved it for being so goddamn stupid and ruining such an easy friendship.

"Get out some more," Wasabi suggested, scrubbing the windows again. "Meet other people."

"_That's_ your advice?" Tadashi asked, dropping a box of inventory.

"C'mon, man, when's the last time you've lived summer to its full potential? Doing stupid stuff with college buddies like a normal college kid? Parties! Getting sloppy drunk! Car surfing!"

"Did _you_ just recommend car surfing and drunkenness?"

Wasabi rolled his eyes. "You gotta let loose every once in a while, right? But, uh, don't actually go car surfing. That's pretty anarchic. Really though, you're being way too hard on yourself."

"I don't know. We're gonna have our hands full pretty soon. Aunt Cass is supposed to be catering for a friend's wedding and I'm helping out - "

"Yeah, uh-huh. Is the wedding _tomorrow?_"

The boy leaned against the counter, thinking. "You know, surfing doesn't sound so bad."

"_There_ it is! Who knows? You could run into Ocean Girl again."

He shrugged. "Probably not. I mean... it's been how long, now? What are the odds I meet her ever again?"

"What was it Hiro said? Maybe she's a mermaid?"

"Unbelievable."

...

Wasabi would surely lecture him for hours for attempting to surf at night again, but he couldn't deal with crowds, especially not tonight. He needed to be alone and collect his thoughts, and luckily no one had followed him. Riding along the freezing waves, he thought back to his friend's words. Ocean Girl. Of course he'd just been joking, but he couldn't help but wonder about the girl and where she was now, if he'd ever get to meet her and thank her. If only the face hadn't blurred in his memory, he'd spot her easily...

Too distracted, he lost his footing and crashed into the water. Luckily, he'd held onto his consciousness this time, but felt too frustrated to carry on. With surfing, with GoGo, everything about his stupid self. Grudgingly, he hauled his surfboard and dragged his feet out of the ocean, but a tune stopped him. It was a woman vocalizing, a hauntingly familiar melody. The beach, the surfing, the voice. Ocean Girl!

Without a moment's hesitation, Tadashi sprinted across the beach for the source, heart racing as the singing grew louder. At last, he spotted a tall, slender girl with a stream of blonde hair and a yellow dress, smiling. He slowed. She was pretty, surely, but something didn't feel right.

"Um, e-excuse me," he stammered, suddenly aware that he was wearing a wetsuit. "Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering... were you singing just a moment ago?"

The girl giggled but shook her head. "Oh! Oh, no. That was just a recording. I was listening to a friend's singing on speaker. She has such a lovely voice!"

Flushing, he turned away and scratched the back of his neck. Of course it couldn't be her. The girl in his vision had black hair. "Yeah. Yeah, of course... Sorry, I just thought - " His head snapped up. "Your... your friend's recording."

She nodded. "Mm-hmm!"

"So... you got this off her! Who is she?"

Her smile weakened, and she looked sympathetic almost. "The most I can say is... she's not in commission at the moment. I'm sorry."

"But you can't tell me who she is?"

She shook her head. "It's not for me to tell."

It was like he was having the sense knocked back into him, and he felt horribly embarrassed. "I - uh... Yeah. I'm... Sorry, I'm totally being rude."

"Oh, no! Her voice is gorgeous, anyone would fall for it in a heartbeat!"

"Um. Right. I'm sorry for wasting your time - "

"Wait," she said hastily, grabbing his wrist as he turned to leave. "What's your name?"

He faced her. "Tadashi."

The girl giggled some more. "Well, Tadashi! To be honest, I'm new to town and I haven't met too many people to - help me find my way around, yet. You wouldn't mind, say, lunch tomorrow or anything, would you?"

Tadashi opened his mouth to decline, thinking of GoGo and how she'd feel about all this. But then again, she wasn't even talking to him. And didn't Wasabi say to take advantage of this summer? Maybe what she wanted after all that awkwardness was more space, for him to get off her back. Maybe she'd be less angry with him and finally speak to him again. He missed her. He missed her so much.

Swallowing, he returned the smile politely. "Sure. Can I have your name?"

The girl readjusted her glasses primly. "Just call me... Vanessa."

...

Hiro noticed GoGo wide awake, but still wrapped in the blankets of her air mattress like a burrito. Honestly, he should really talk to Aunt Cass about converting the garage into a bedroom, he thought, adjusting his pajamas as he sat on the couch. In the corner, Baymax had snuggled together with Mochi.

"Hey," he said quietly.

GoGo rolled her head over to face him. "Hey."

"I need to talk to you."

Reluctantly, she rose from the bed and walked over to sit on the couch beside him. "What's up?"

"GoGo..." He sighed heavily, tugging at her shirt like a small child. "_Please_ just talk to Tadashi again. And don't say you're not avoiding him, because you are."

She didn't answer, only looked away sadly.

"Look, the whole boating thing... that was my fault. I planned it."

"I figured you were up to something."

"I wanted to hook you guys up so you wouldn't want to leave."

Her eyes flew open and she stared at him as if he'd told her Wasabi was secretly a hardcore delinquent.

"What are you _talking_ about - ?"

"Well - ! I was arguing with Tadashi, and he kept bringing stuff up about how someone might come back for you and... I just thought if you starting dating Tadashi, you'd have some reason to stay." His hand was still clutching her shirt, trembling. "I just - I never had any real friends before. I never met kids my age because I was always in a higher grade and everyone in my grade was too old for me and... You're the only person outside my family who listens to my stupid problems and hangs out with me and doesn't treat me like some weirdo."

"Hiro..."

"I'm _really_ sorry for all the trouble I made. And I'm sorry for being selfish. It's okay if you want to leave - I'll understand." He released her shirt, unable to face her. "I know I sound like a big baby, but... I'll miss you."

Without warning, GoGo threw her arms around the boy, bursting into peals of laughter. Hiro didn't give a second thought to hugging her back, no matter how much air he was losing or bones he had broken.

"You're actually a really sweet kid, you know that?" GoGo choked, as if restrained. When she pulled away, her eyes looked a little misty and it looked like she was trying not to blink.

Hiro blanched. "Don't call me sweet."

"Hiro, you are _so_ sweet. You're just full of sugar, aren't you? What a sweet boy you are, yes you are."

"Ew, no!"

Like a pouncing cat, she sprung out at him and wiggled her fingers across his stomach, making him howl with laughter.

"No, s-stop!" he giggled. "T-that tickles!"

"Exactly!" When she at last released the boy, who was gasping for breath, she grinned. "Look, kiddo. I'm not mad at you. I think it's really... nice of you. Nobody's ever gone that far for me before."

Hiro squinted. "I thought you had amnesia."

She sighed. "I think... I remember some parts. I know enough to tell you you don't have to worry about anyone coming for me soon. Just... trust me on that."

"You sure? You completely sure?"

She held out a pinky. "Tadashi taught me this."

Ecstatically Hiro wrapped his own pinky around hers and shook. "But if you're going to stay here, you can't tickle me again."

"No promises."

"Fine, but _no one_ knows of our mushy moment."

GoGo shuddered. "Uh, no. Absolutely not."

"Speaking of Tadashi... will you at least go talk to him now?" He saw the hesitation on her face and rolled his eyes. "I already explained everything! It's okay if you're not interested in him - "

"It's not that."

Now that was confusing. "Has he said anything to you?"

"No, no, nothing like that." She pressed her lips into a thin line. "It's just... for the whole time I've been here, the only thing I could think about was going back to I came from - wherever that is. And in a way... you had a point. I've actually started to _like_ Ta - stuff... here... for real. I like it here. And I wasn't sure what I wanted anymore. It was just all really... confusing. I just couldn't look at him because - " She didn't need to finish her sentence. Her pink cheeks did.

All alarms in him went off, and more than anything he wanted to beg her to stay. Instead, he swallowed the words down and patted her shoulder, as Tadashi sometimes did when he felt stressed. "Do whatever you think is best," he said, almost reciting. "As long as you're happy."

GoGo reached over and ruffled his bushy hair, to which he jokingly recoiled. "What made you such a wise kid?"

"Let's just say, as Fred puts it, I'm a little _man._" He puffed his chest out. "_Buuut_, uh, on a side note, you should _really_ talk to Tadashi because I may not have executed my plans in the best way, but... he does really like you. A lot. It's really obvious, actually."

The girl bit her lip as if she hardly dared to believe it. "How do you know?"

"Because I talked to him, and he all but said it! And he has that sappy way of looking at you. It's totally gross, but it's _Tadashi_."

"You're sure? 100%?"

Now it was Hiro's turn to laugh, because he'd never imagined such a tough girl could be so nervous. "Seriously! I'll pinky promise again if I have to."

She stared blankly at the wall. "I have no idea what to do with this information."

Did he have to do _everything_? "I think he might still be downstairs! Talk to him!"

"Right now?"

"Yes, right now! Go! I mean, get changed first, but _go!_"

She didn't need to be told twice. Quick as lightning, she dashed into the bathroom to change into something decent and dashed down the stairs, closely followed by Hiro and the two animals. It seemed she'd arrived just in time, as she spotted Tadashi just heading out the door. She opened her mouth to call out to him, but soon she noticed something else. Tadashi's arm... it was linked to someone else's. She couldn't make out the shape quickly enough, but it was certainly a girl.

"Aunt Cass!" Hiro exclaimed to his aunt at the counter. "Wh-who was _that?_"

"Well," she said absentmindedly, "if I didn't know any better, I'd say your brother's found himself a new girlfriend. I always thought he was a catch!"

The astounded boy felt his jaw drop. No. No, no, no, no. What the _shit_ had just happened? Even the animals cocked their head to the side in confusion. He turned to GoGo, who looked stunned. They met each other's eyes, and Hiro flapped his arms frantically.

"No!" he cried. "I swear, I - "

She shook her head. "It's fine."

"I'm not lying! I really - "

"It's okay if you misread the situation," she said stiffly. "Or... maybe he just got tired me me already." She looked away and popped her bubblegum.

"GoGo..."

"Whatever. I don't care. Really." She tore her gaze away and sprinted back up the stairs before Hiro could protest.

"What's gotten into you two?" Aunt Cass asked, carrying an order.

Hiro looked to the door, then to the stairs, then back to the door. Grunting in exasperation, he scrambled out the door just in time to jump in front of Tadashi and the girl seated behind him on the moped.

"Hiro!" Tadashi scolded. "I almost hit you!"

Giggling, a girl in a yellow sundress poked her head out from behind him. He couldn't quite make out her head, as it was encased in a giant helmet. "Hello!"

"Wh-who is _she?_" Hiro asked frantically, pointing at her.

"Hiro, that's rude!"

"Oh no, it's fine!" the girl reassured him, voice muffled. "I think he's cute!" She didn't take off her helmet as she addressed him. "I'm Vanessa."

"Is this a _date?_" the younger boy demanded.

Tadashi leaned over and dropped his voice to a low whisper. "Hiro, I _really_ don't know what's gotten into you, but she's new and I'm _just_ showing her around town - "

Was that... was that a _yes?_ "But... Tadashi, you can't go _right now_, I mean, what about GoGo - ?"

He cut himself off as he watched his brother's expression go blank. "I don't think I can be around her right now."

The boy froze and felt his jaw drop. "Tadashi - "

But when the engine purred back to life, Hiro stepped aside and watched them ride away. He had to have misread something. His brother would never, ever say something like that, especially not about GoGo. GoGo! He looked up at the bedroom window that hung above the café, only to glimpse at the blinds shutting as a girl turned away.

...

Honey Lemon had expected the mermaid would want to meet her at the beach that night. Surely enough, there the girl was, watching the waves and looking more sullen than she had at their last meeting. Although she certainly felt sorry for the girl, she couldn't help exploding with glee on the inside. Tadashi had been completely oblivious to the fact that "Vanessa" had asked him on a date and assumed they were going out as "just friends." (Although Honey Lemon did wonder what that said about his social intelligence.) At some point, at her urging, he spent a good chunk of time talking about GoGo, omitting the events of the past week.

Unnoticed, the witch slowly crept to the mermaid's back, waiting to surprise her.

"Honey Lemon," she called, although her voice was so low it could've easily been mistaken for a mumble. When she received no response, she raised her voice. "_Honey Lemon!_"

Before she could even finish the last consonant, she felt a shove at her back and heard a loud, "_Boo!_"

Furiously, GoGo turned around and slapped her hand away. She watched Honey Lemon's shocked expression, and waited to let it register that she had no patience today.

"I hate it here!" she cried.

This was a stronger reaction than the witch had been expecting, but perhaps that meant her plan was working well. She decided to feign ignorance. "Whatever are you talking about? Did something happen?"

"The human world is a terrible place," the mermaid seethed. "I want to be a mermaid again _right now._"

"But... I've been watching you," Honey Lemon said. "I thought you were having fun. You were getting along so well, especially with T - "

The mermaid snorted derisively. "Ha! As if! He's taken up with some other human - a 'Vanessa.'" She used air quotes.

"And that makes you angry?"

"No. Yes. I don't know!" GoGo clutched her head, in hysterics. "How can he try to kiss me one day and then run off with another girl the next? Are all humans so... so..."

Knowingly, the witch smirked. "So you could say you're jealous?"

"I..." She shook her head. "No. It's because... if he's not in love with me, how do I become a mermaid again?!"

Unbelievable. The witch wanted to scream. How could a mermaid be so oblivious, especially when her benefactor had put so much effort into making this happen? This time, it was Honey Lemon's turn to be frustrated. "You are _unbelievable!_" she cried, face flushing. "_Why_ is it so hard for you to admit you are in love with this human? Look at you! You're visibly angry that he's with another woman but you won't even _admit_ you're jealous!"

"It's not jealousy!" the mermaid insisted. She swallowed and balled her hands into fists. "Well... not all of it."

Now the Honey Lemon was utterly confused. "What do you mean?"

She didn't meet her eyes and instead kept her gaze on the sand. "Do humans forget each other so easily?"

"GoGo..."

"Tadashi moved onto someone else just days after me. He said he couldn't even be around me. I know I was ignoring him. But even so... It only took one week. If I waited long enough, would the others forget me just as easily?"

The witch was at a loss for words. In a way, her plan had worked - the mermaid had become jealous, but not enough to do anything about it. It only made her want to return to the sea even more.

"W-well, what are you waiting for?" Honey Lemon asked, forcing an encouraging smile. "Go steal him back!"

The mermaid's face contorted into that of disgust. "That's a _horrible_ thing to do!"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean... if he's happy with her, that's his own business, isn't it?" She rubbed her own shoulder. "Even Hiro got used to the idea of me leaving. Would they all be happier without me eventually?"

Of all people, this was the one she least expected such a response from. Honey Lemon revoked her previous thought. Her plan had failed. Utterly failed. She was a bumbling witch after all. She thought for a moment about telling her the truth, who "Vanessa" really was, but what good would that do? She'd only get angry or wallow in the fact that Tadashi had chosen someone else over her, when he really hadn't. She could tell her Tadashi very much had feelings for her, but she'd fall back into the "tell her the truth" plan regardless.

It seemed things had changed, and it was up to Tadashi to be the upfront one. And if the witch had any faith left at all, she would have to trust him to do so.

"Little mermaid," Honey Lemon said, determined. "In all my years of treading the human world, I can _assure_ you that won't happen."

...

Of all the schemes he'd ever had, this was surely the least mischievous one, or at least the one with the least ill intent. And perhaps GoGo would be angry that he followed her out so late at night, but she hardly ever went out alone except to pick up groceries or something. By the time they'd reached the wharf, Hiro had lost her. Where was she running to? And why did she run so _fast_? He'd never really noticed it when they were outrunning cops, but now that he was the one chasing her...

At last, he found her with a blonde lady at the edge of the beach. The lady looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. As they parted ways, he contemplated calling out to her, saying he'd lost something at the beach or whichever excuse sounded best, but curiosity of who the lady was won over. When GoGo was out of sight, he kept an eye on her, hiding behind one of the boulders.

After scanning the beach, she stretched and closed her eyes. Hiro wondered who would be doing warm-up stretches at the beach in the dead of the night, but he noticed as her legs turned... wiggly, like wet noodles. They started to stretch and grow thicker until they turned pink, and then two, three... no, _six_ more burst out of her body as her clothes dissolved. Hiro rubbed his eyes as he gasped with horror at what he'd just witnessed. The lady GoGo had been talking to had grown tentacles. Chills ran up and down his spine and he wanted more than anything to scream and run, but his body remained frozen as she slinked back into the sea. Swallowing down bile, the boy ran off to find GoGo, mind racing with questions and most of all terrified of just what kind of danger she might be in.


	12. Stall That Wedding

**A/N:** Aaaand, the big event. Happy reading! Thanks for reviews as always.

* * *

Nobody in _their_ family was getting married, and yet everyone in the house seemed to be a nervous wreck. Shifts had been shuffled around, everyone was working in the kitchen at the same time, the occasional part-timers scattered around the café. Aunt Cass's diet had been smashed, tossed out the window from all her stress eating, and there was no telling how many times the family had to listen to that cursed wedding song because it seemed to calm her nerves. Hiro's skin turned so white from some kind of terror that his brother swore he'd reached Hollywood levels of whitewashing. Tadashi himself was turning jumpy, fixing all of Aunt Cass's messes for her. The only person who didn't care at all was GoGo, who calmly handled orders at the café while the rest of the family was preparing enough food for all the guests.

"It's a _ship_ wedding!" Aunt Cass cried. "What if the food gets carried away by seagulls?"

"With the way she's acting you'd think it's _her_ wedding," Tadashi heard GoGo mutter to Hiro, who didn't even snicker.

"Her friend's been divorced twice so she's extra superstitious about this wedding," Hiro whispered back. "If one thing goes wrong she thinks her friend's love life is doomed."

Even though she knew about Vanessa, she still wasn't speaking to Tadashi. Did he sicken her that much? Or was something else bothering her? It drove him nuts that they couldn't hold a conversation anymore, but it would be wrong to force her to tell him.

"Gotta go," he announced hastily as he finished squeezing the last bit of frosting on the bottom layer of the wedding cake. He rushed for the doors, praying Aunt Cass wouldn't say anything -

"Vanessa?" Aunt Cass chirped.

Tadashi immediately winced and turned back to face her with a forced smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of GoGo, who stilled. In spite of her ostensibly empty expression, her brown eyes filled with... disappointment, if he deduced correctly.

_"I know if you really cared about someone, you wouldn't abandon them,"_ his brother's words echoed in his head.

"Hey, GoGo, one of the part-timers is coming in. You're off the clock now," Aunt Cass said cheerily, focused on the pastries at hand and unaware of her ward's reaction. GoGo just about tore the apron off.

_"You don't ever, _ever_ abandon someone."_

_I am sending the most mixed messages now_, Tadashi thought, reaching for his phone and sending a rain check text.

"I'm not seeing Vanessa today," he said, shoving his phone back in his pocket. When he looked up, his eyes met GoGo's confused ones. Before he could say anymore, she was already running up the stairs.

He wasn't letting go this time, not letting his fears get to him. "GoGo!" he called, tailing after her.

She had a knack for telling him everything that was wrong with him, he supposed. How many times had he heard it? _"You worry _way_ too much, mister."_

The girl stopped as she reached the living room, realizing the inevitable. Popping her gum, she reluctantly turned back to Tadashi, who approached her haltingly.

_"Just let him complain to you without judgment or whatever. I think you're more than capable of that."_

No. It was time to stop holding back, stop running away from his problems. He hadn't given up on his brother and he wouldn't give up on GoGo.

"Look," he said firmly, "I can't take anymore of this. This... pretending the other doesn't exist thing. Maybe I suck at social interaction. I suck so bad I couldn't even talk to my own _brother._ But you - you're always telling me to listen, to stop worrying. And every time I _look_ at you I'm worried about how much I hurt you over that stupid boating thing.

"But GoGo, it's driving me nuts that we can't talk and complain to each other like we used to. You're telling me what's wrong with me all the time, remember? I swear I'll never bother you again if you just tell me _now_."

He watched her open and close her mouth over and over, as if completely lost on how to respond. At long last, she blew an abnormally large bubble and snapped it, smacking it around in her mouth. "It's not really you," she muttered. To his dumbfounded reaction, she explained. "It's me. Look, the boat thing wasn't... so bad. I was having fun. But when you" - She blushed and censored herself - "did the _thing_... I was okay. It was later, when I kept thinking about what you said earlier, that you wanted me to stay and I got freaked out, because I guess... I was becoming too attached to y - this place. And the idea that I'd get so attached to this place I wouldn't want to go back to... wherever I came from scared me."

A rush of emotions, it seemed, were running through her, and her normally stoic face looked contorted with them. Confusion. Relief. Frustration. But he would listen. He'd be there for her and let her go on forever as she'd done so many times for him.

"I know I was ignoring you. I was stupid." She crossed her arms. "I was going to start talking to you again later, but I heard what you said to Hiro, that you couldn't even stand me - "

"Whoa, _what?_" Tadashi interrupted. "I would never - when did you hear me say _that?_"

"When you were out with your girlfriend, numbnuts! Remember?" Her face droop and she mimicked his deep voice. "_I don't think I can be around her right now._"

"_Oh._" It was like a lightbulb had gone off, and he couldn't help but laugh. It felt good to laugh at what she said again. "I thought _you_ couldn't stand to be around _me_. I thought you wanted me to back off."

GoGo's jaw dropped, and he wondered if she'd picked that up from Hiro. "_Are you friggin' _kidding_ me?_"

"Hey, you were the one ignoring _me_, remember?" Maybe it was the relief that so many things were coming clean now, but once he'd started laughing he couldn't stop. "For the record, Vanessa's not my girlfriend either. I only met her a couple of days ago."

Her head was reeling. "But Aunt Cass said - "

"Do you know how many soap operas she watches? Since I hit puberty she's been thinking any girl within a five-foot radius of me is my girlfriend." He grinned. "Trust me, I'm just taking Wasabi's advice and expanding my social circle."

GoGo eyed him suspiciously. "So... you don't have a girlfriend. And you don't hate me."

He shook his head. "I could never hate you."

Hesitantly, she stepped closer to him and whispered, "Even if I left?"

"I'd find you all over again," he murmured, brushing strands of hair out of her face.

She flicked his forehead. "Dingus." She slinked her arms around his sides and rested her head against his chest. He returned the embraced, resting his chin in her soft hair and noting for the first time how tiny she was.

"You know what's funny?" he mumbled. "I think we're the idiots in the movies."

"Unbelievable."

...

The fix in GoGo's and Tadashi's relationship hadn't quite washed calm over the household, but it had certainly broken some tension. Hiro at the very least had relaxed a bit but was still unable to control his nerves. He hadn't seen a hair of that octopus lady since the day he snuck out, nor had he spoken to GoGo about it. Was she perhaps in cahoots with her? But no... He thought back to that night, and although he couldn't quite make out what they were saying, GoGo certainly looked terrified. Moreover, the blonde lady was _angry_. Angry at what? Did GoGo at least know her true nature?

The wedding itself did nothing to calm him. A ship wedding. A _ship_ wedding! What if the lady was a kraken who could swallow them whole? Maybe he should call the police or something, but who would believe a fourteen-year-old about a giant octopus lady? That was bad even for prank call material. (He would know, having prank called about a man in a kabuki mask with an army of mini robots before. Amateur stuff.)

On the long-awaited day, Hiro swore everyone the vicinity had attended, including Wasabi and Stoner Fred.

"They're renting the ship from Fred's dad and I guess he just let me tag along," Wasabi explained, adjusting his tie as they waited to board.

"Oh." Hiro nervously tugged at his collar, eyes fixated on the ocean, waiting for something to emerge...

"You all right there, buddy?" Wasabi peered at him closely. "You look pale."

"I'm fine."

"You're not sick, are you?"

"I'm fine, dammit!"

He let out a long whistle. "Better be glad your brother's already on board... and while we're on that topic, where's Fr - "

As if on cue, Hiro and Wasabi heard a boisterous hollering and watched as their lanky friend scrambled toward them, necktie flapping in the wind.

"Fred! This is a _formal event!_" Wasabi chastised.

"You guys won't believe this!" Fred gasped, excitedly pulling out his phone. "There I was, watching the waves, hair streaming in the window, when lo! An enticing voice draws me in... and there! On the beach, a 100% bona fide monster!" He dropped his voice to a low whisper. "That's Italian for 'totally cool.'"

Hiro's bones chilled as he vaguely listened to his other friend yell, "Fred, having you been _smoking _again?" and say something along the lines of monolingual imbecile. On the beach... monster...

"No, no, for real, man!" Their friend held out his phone before them, and the two leaned in, watching a video of a blonde woman whose lower body was concealed by the sea. The same woman GoGo had spoken to...

_"What a lovely little bride she'd make. My dear, she'd look divine."_ The woman in the video giggled as she headed towards shore, adjusting accessories in her hair. _"Things are working out according to my ultimate design."_ She drew closer and closer to the sand. _"Soon he'll have that little mermaid and the ocean will be mine!"_ At last her body departed from the seas, revealing those grotesque pink tentacles. Hiro felt nauseous once again, as they retracted until her legs resembled human legs.

"Whoa... is that _our_ beach?" Wasabi gasped. "That looks really..."

"Real!" Hiro blurted, panicked. "Wasabi, I've seen that same lady turning into a monster before! On that beach!"

Tadashi's cynical co-worker rubbed his temple in exasperation. "Don't tell me you're _both_ smoking."

"Wasabi!"

"This is one of your elaborate jokes, isn't it? Hiro, now's not the time - "

The boy was beginning to panic. "Wasabi, please, I swear on my life I can't make this up! On my cat! Look, _Fred_ even saw it!"

Still unconvinced, Wasabi held up two fingers in front of Fred's eyes. "Okay, buddy. How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Two," he answered casually.

His jaw dropped as his gaze shifted between Fred and Hiro, realization dawning on him. "He's _sober._"

"_Now_ do you believe me?!" Hiro demanded.

"Well, if Fred's normal - or as normal as he can be - I guess I'm ready to believe anything."

The boy ripped the phone from his friend's hands and replayed the video, rubbing his chin. "Something about the bride... and taking a 'little mermaid.'"

"Don't tell me mermaids actually exist too - "

"_Shh!_" Hiro wrinkled his nose. "She said, 'And the ocean will be mine...' Fred, are you _sure_ you saw this today?"

"Yeah, brah." Fred gave the video another viewing and gasped. "She wants to take the bride and somehow use her for her dastardly plan to take over the ocean!"

"How?"

"Why else would she sing about a bride and the ocean being hers? And the mermaid... _The bride's a mermaid._"

"I - you - Do you two realize how _ridiculous_ you sound?!" Wasabi sputtered, only for Fred to ignore him.

"Maybe, but it's the best hypothesis we got," Hiro said through gritted teeth. "She wants something to do with the bride... and was probably wringing wedding details out of GoGo. I don't know. All I know now is that we need to _stall that wedding!_"

"I am _done_ here!"

...

Wheeling out the last of the tables, GoGo dusted off her dress and blew her gum when she was certain Aunt Cass wasn't looking. She'd never seen a human wedding before, and apparently they mostly took place in churches, not ships. So what was so special about this one? Furthermore, she had to dress even fancier than the night she went out with Tadashi - an emerald green chiffon dress with a gold sash and high low skirt. It looked nice, she supposed, but the heels were killing her. To save her toes from further pinching, she yanked them off and carelessly tossed them under the table. She heard someone chuckle behind her and, knowing fully well who, met him with a glare.

"She'll make you go back to get them if she notices," Tadashi said, placing a basket of sourdough bread on the table.

"_If_ she notices," she retorted, defiantly blowing a larger bubble.

"You're two inches shorter."

"Like you can tell."

"You're right. How's the view down there?" He dodged as she swiped at him but failed to evade an elbow jab to the gut. As she smirked triumphantly, he winced and rubbed his fatal wound. "Okay, you got me." His voice strained.

"Why don't _you_ ever wear heels?"

"Technically I could. I just choose not to." Dodging another forehead flick, he laughed and reached into his pocket. GoGo peered curiously as he pulled out a thin silver chain with a tiny glass nautilus shell dangling from the bottom. "Since you don't have shoes anymore."

GoGo blinked. "Is this for me?"

Tadashi's neck developed that strange rash again, and he flushed as he clutched the necklace. "Um. Yeah. I remember you saying they were your favorite, and I have an employee discount..."

When had she ever said - ? Her thoughts darted back to her first visit to the gift shop, when she'd snatched that very shell from the displays. A reminder of her home. He remembered that far back? "I can't fit this over my head," she blurted.

"Oh. Um, yeah, this was a stupid idea, I'll return it..." He started to put it back in his pocket.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help snorting. "You could help me put it on, doofus." Tadashi was Tadashi.

"Right! Right, I knew that." Immediately he brought it back out and fumbled before unclasping it and draping it around her neck.

The glass felt cool against her skin, and delicately she held it between her fingers as she looked up to its giver, who was anxiously waiting for a response. Her mouth hung open, waiting for a thank you. Instead, the only word tumbling out was, "Why?"

Tadashi shrugged shyly. "I felt bad about what I said. If it doesn't make up for it - I mean if you don't like it, I-"

She released the shell and placed a hand on his chest. "I like it," she reassured him, smiling. "Thank you."

GoGo wondered if he was getting sick, because his face burned up and he started having a coughing spasm. "Um. I think Aunt Cass is still waiting for a cake. You find a seat and I'll go get that." Before she could say another word, he was running off in pursuit of his aunt. Slightly annoyed, she did as instructed and found a seat beside another guest, a woman with brunette hair tied in a bun and striking blue eyes. Where was Hiro in all this? she wondered as she blew another bubble.

"You might want to hide that once the procession starts," the woman whispered whispered. At GoGo's alarmed reaction, she winked. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"I'll spit it out," GoGo muttered. "The thing'll just go stale anyway."

The woman's clutch began humming, and she sighed as she pulled out her phone. "Katie, where _are_ you? The procession's about to - " She leaned closer GoGo once more, eyebrows furrowed with concern. "Do you think you could save this seat for me? My wife's having an... issue."

The short-haired girl nodded and dismissively waved her hand. With one last thanks, the woman left and was just as quickly replaced with another, this one much more chipper than GoGo could handle.

"Having fun?" Honey Lemon squeaked. She'd dressed for the occasion as well, a puffy gold gown with a pink ribbon in her hair.

"Honey Lemon!" GoGo gasped, gum nearly dropping from her mouth.

"I heard you and Tadashi made up!" She pressed her fists to her own face in excitement. "What did I tell you? And I didn't even have to - er... Well, how do you feel?"

"I feel like I'm supposed to be saving someone's seat right now," she growled. "How did you even get _in_ here?"

"As a witch, it's not so hard to - "

Horns blared, and soon the rest of the musicians were playing along as several bridesmaids and groomsmen soon followed by a pretty yet agitated-looking bride in an ostentatious white gown - frills galore - trailed down the aisle with her groom. The other woman never returned to her seat, which also meant the witch refused to budge. The priest began his speech which soon turned into droning. GoGo could feel her eyelids weighing down until the woman from before skirted her way around the guests and kneeled down to whisper something to the pianist. The musician's face scrunched up and mouthed something. The woman leaned in closer, although by now she had leaned in too close to the microphone and her voice echoed for all to hear, "Katie's vomiting everywhere and can't sing!"

A gasp rippled throughout the crowd as the pianist instantly banged her keyboard and the couple glanced at each other in panic. GoGo turned to the back to find the family, and surely enough Aunt Cass glared at the cake with gritted teeth as if she wanted to smash it while Tadashi held her back. Hiro, on the other hand, whistled and tossed an empty vial in his hand with no sign of worry on his youthful face. He looked almost smug, in fact.

It was Honey Lemon's reaction that surprised her the most. The witch looked shocked, yes, but also... infuriated. It was much more than her exasperation when they met at the beach - she was downright _glaring_ at the woman. GoGo could understand irritation, but something out of their control surely wasn't enough to warrant hatred, especially if that didn't stop the wedding. She could probably sing that stupid song right now with the amount of times she'd heard it.

She rose abruptly from her seat and marched up to the pianist, snatching one of the microphones. She had the voice for it, if she did say so herself, and who was to say she couldn't sing the damn thing and get the wedding over with?

"Play it," she commanded the pianist, although it almost sounded like a threat. The woman dashed away to find her wife, GoGo presumed. The pianist was either intimidated or panicked, because she didn't question the girl as she resumed the music. GoGo waited to come in, remembering she hadn't sung since she traded her tail for legs and hoped she wasn't too rusty. When she heard the right notes, she took a deep breath and sang.

All her muscles relaxed, and she could feel her tension ebbing away. Bursting out into song after months of silence felt _wonderful_. When the song ended, it was as if a heavy weight had finally lifted off her shoulders. The guests thundered with applause, some even standing. She had to crane her neck over to search for Aunt Cass and her nephews. Aunt Cass was whooping and hollering, "_I love my family!_" Hiro had dropped the vial and his jaw, while Tadashi... his eyes widened with some kind of shock. She turned her attention away from them and looked for the witch, whose seat had emptied.

Suddenly someone yanked at her arms as she felt herself being dragged away while the priest proceeded. Desperately, she tried to wring herself free, but Honey Lemon, it seemed, had a tight grip. She wasn't released until the two had reached the very ends of the ship, behind the cabins where no one would find them.

"The woman who was beside you!" Honey Lemon cried before GoGo could get a word out. "Where is she?!"

GoGo had never seen the sea witch so agitated before, and as much as she dreaded to admit it, it unnerved her. "I-I don't know. Something about her wife - "

"_No!_" someone cried, and the two turned to find Hiro taking off and tackling the witch to the ground. "GoGo, get out of here while you still can!"

"Hiro!" GoGo shouted as the boy tumbled off the witch's body and made a grab for her leg as she tried to stand.

"Run! Hide!" he cried. "I can't hold her off for long!"

"What are you _talking_ about?!" she demanded, hoisting the boy up and forcing him to release his grip.

"Don't trust her!" he yelled, jabbing an accusing finger at Honey Lemon. "She's a - !" His voice trailed off as he saw Honey Lemon gazing into the distance, hair in a disarray. Both Hiro and GoGo looked in that direction and laid eyes on the woman the witch had begged for. She'd dropped her clutch and her face bore a stunned expression.

"Honey Lemon..." the woman whispered in disbelief.

"Y-you _know_ her?" GoGo exclaimed.

"'_Honey Lemon_'?" Hiro repeated. "What kind of name - "

"You..." Honey Lemon's face was crimson with fury. "Where have you been?"

The woman stood frozen, as if in terror.

"_Where have you been?!_" the witch repeated shrilly. "_Answer me!_"

"I... I didn't think..."

"I looked _everywhere_ for you! I spent nearly twenty years thinking you were _dead!_" For the first time, GoGo watched as angry tears spilled down Honey Lemon's cheeks and wondered what on earth had happened between her and this woman.

"Honey Lemon - "

"Do you know what your father did to me when you never returned, never so much as explained yourself to him?! I was banished! I lived in isolation!"

Banishment. Was that the reason the sea witch lived so far away from the rest of the mermaids? Why she rarely received visitors? Just what had this woman _done_ to her? Then she realized what she'd just said. The woman's father... but the only merman with that kind of power was...

"King Callaghan," GoGo gasped. "Abigail Callaghan?!"

The woman tore her eyes away from GoGo, biting her lip and fighting the tears welling up in her eyes. "Honey Lemon, I... I can explain."

GoGo saw the weariness in the witch's eyes and wondered just how old she really was as she reached out to touch the lost princess's cheek sorrowfully. "Tell me why you did this," she pleaded in hushed tones.

"Can someone _please_ tell me what the hell's going on?" Hiro said, looking completely confused.

"I'm kind of lost, too," GoGo offered.

They might as well have not been there, because Abigail explained her story the best she could as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Honey Lemon, I _swear_ I never lied to you," she sobbed. "I did fall in love with a human. And it worked, just as you promised. Remember? But I knew... I knew my father wouldn't approve. He would want me to stay in the ocean. That's why I ran away with her, Honey Lemon. It had nothing to do with you."

Honey Lemon inhaled sharply, as if trying to stop her own tears. "You have no idea. You _know_ he doesn't think there can be love between humans and your kind, Abigail, that your people can't ever be happy here! He thought I'd sent you to _die_ in the surface! He had me banished for it! My thousands of guests - gone! I haven't made remedies or spells to help people in twenty years!"

"I was sixteen, I was young, I didn't know..."

GoGo felt faint and had to catch the railing for support as Hiro clung to her, the boy terrified and confused all at once. But pieces were falling together for her - had this been why Honey Lemon was so insistent on helping her? To prove the King wrong, to atone for her mistakes? She took a longer look at the princess's aged face. More or less thirty-six, and yet looking close to a middle aged mermaid, when mermaids could live for three hundred years. GoGo herself was only eighteen, barely beginning her life. Would she so easily toss all that away for more trouble and suffering?

"There they are! That's them!" a low voice boomed. The ocean people and the boy watched as Wasabi, Fred, and Tadashi sprinted towards them frantically.

"Where have you two _been?_" Wasabi sputtered, grabbing Hiro's shoulders. "The wedding - "

"GoGo," Tadashi gasped, panting.

She gripped the railing harder as if her body refused to let go. He stepped closer.

"Tadashi, you have to - " Hiro began.

"It's you. You're the one - the one I've been looking for."

There were so many things she wanted to say to him - the truth, the situation, the urgency. But was it worth it? "Tadashi... " All that Abigail had done, all that it had cost Honey Lemon. "Tadashi, I wanted to tell you..." All those years of life she'd be giving up.

Gently, Tadashi cupped one hand around her waist and the other on her cheek. Disobedient to her conscience, she slinked her arms around his neck, heart racing. No, her mind wanted her to scream, but she couldn't bring herself to. This was Tadashi. He rested his forehead on hers, and her heart nearly leapt out of her chest.

I want this, she thought.

_No, you don't_.

Their noses brushed against each other, oh God.

_It's not worth it._

His breath was warm.

_Then let others suffer for your selfishness._

Where the voice came from, she didn't know. But as his hand made its way through her hair, she jolted with awareness. What would the Hamadas suffer for her choices? What could become of them? She realized this all too suddenly as Tadashi's lips brushed against hers, to which she only responded with a sharp gasp of pain. Not from the lips, she recognized, but her legs.

They felt tight, constricting, suffocating. She felt herself slip - literally slip away as she slid to the floor, no longer feeling toes but... fins. She looked up helplessly at Tadashi, who jumped, taken aback.

"_What are thooose?!_" Fred yelled, thrusting both his arms at her fins.

"Tadashi," she gasped. "I - "

"No!" Honey Lemon cried, horrified. GoGo heard a violent ripping noise as the witch's tentacles emerged, to everyone's screams and shocks. "You're too late! Too late!" The mermaid tried to protest, only to feel cold arms and tentacles grab her and drag her overboard, plunging them back in the ocean from whence they came.

...

_Act now, questions later. Act now, questions later._

There was no time to panic as Tadashi hurdling himself off the side of the ship and throwing his jacket off. He had to find GoGo. He needed to bring her back.

"Tadashi, what are you doing?!" Wasabi screeched.

"I lost her once!" he called determinedly as he landed in the lifeboat. "I'm not gonna lose her again!"

"Tadashi, _no!_"

It hadn't been Wasabi who called this time, but his own brother, gazing at him frantically, pleading with him.

"GoGo's down there," he said, his breath growing heavy. "Someone has to help."


	13. The King's Mercy

**A/N:** Climax time! Thanks for following through with this story and leaving positive comments throughout. Y'all are gr9.

* * *

GoGo hardly dared to believe she was back. Her two legs a whole tail, her deep blue ocean once again surrounding her. Of course, not everything was perfect. Honey Lemon still clutched her wrist, pulling her along.

"We have to leave!" Honey Lemon pleaded. "Or they'll find - "

"_Honey Lemon!_" a deep angry voice thundered.

If it were at all possible, the witch's grip on the mermaid tightened, and she feared her hand would snap right off. In the darkness, a golden light glowed, and soon emerged an aged merman with a crown resting in his hair, holding a gold trident. He seemed to glower at them.

The King himself.

"Y-Your Majesty," Honey Lemon stammered, trembling. "I-I can explain - "

"How did you find - ?" GoGo began asking.

"One of the mermaids," he interrupted, "reported having seen the witch crawl out of the sea at night, and watched the surface from afar. She noticed you as a human, but distinctly remembered having seen you as a mermaid." His scowl never changed, and it only hardened the more he looked at Honey Lemon. "I see her suspicions weren't wrong."

"Your Majesty, please - " the witch begged, releasing GoGo and clasping her hands together. "I was only trying to - "

"You knew your sentence!" he yelled accusingly, pointing the trident in her direction. "You knew I forbade you from using such a spell on another mermaid, from entering our kingdom - and yet here you are..."

"Your Majesty, I asked her to do those things for me!" GoGo shouted. Surely he wouldn't let her off easily for talking back, and Honey Lemon was the biggest ditz she'd ever known, but she couldn't consider herself faultless. "She was only - "

"Silence! She knew the law, and she knows the consequences!" He raised his trident.

They were dead. Well, Honey Lemon surely. As a victim, perhaps GoGo would get a lighter sentence if any at all. Yanking the witch closer to her, she whispered, "You go. I'll stop him."

Honey Lemon pulled herself away and gasped. "No!"

The trident was starting to glow - there was no time to argue. GoGo had never been more thankful for her speed as she swam behind the sea king and jerked his shoulders, causing the blast from his trident to narrowly miss the sea witch.

"Find her!" GoGo screamed.

Honey Lemon didn't need to be told twice. The mermaid watched as her tentacles set her off as quickly as they could. Meanwhile, she felt something hot hurling into her and slamming her into the rocks. Sharp pains jabbed into her body and a violent red color overcame her vision. She clutched at her head, which felt excruciating.

"You're in alliance with the sea witch," the king growled, threatening another attack.

"Your Majesty, please," the mermaid croaked, "is this what Abigail would have wanted?"

He held his trident still, but his glare hardened.

"If you would just listen, you'll get what you want. Your - "

"_I want my daughter back._"

The trident glowed once more, and GoGo shut her eyes and turned away, bracing herself for the attack. But it never came. Instead, she heard a sudden cry, and when she peeked over her shoulder the king was clutched at his arm in an attempt to stop the blood. She looked at the ground where a bloodied harpoon lay and turned her attention upwards. A human struggled to hold his breath, and a white fish swam beside him. Tadashi... and Baymax. Baymax must have had regained his original form when she did. Just as quickly as he had appeared, Tadashi turned and swam away, desperate for air. The king angrily raised his trident again.

No, GoGo thought. He could threaten a witch, break as many of the mermaid's bones as he wanted. But he would never, never get Tadashi. With a full swing, she punched the king's face (knowing she was definitely getting the death penalty if not worse for her actions) and caught up with Tadashi, wrapping an arm around his waist and leading him to the surface as she had done so long ago.

They burst from the water, Tadashi climbing back into the lifeboat and gasping for air. GoGo pushed at the lifeboat, hoping to get him a good distance away from the vengeful sea king. To her frustration, the idiot human boy leaned over and grabbed her hand.

"Come in with me," he pleaded.

"No time!" she shouted. "Just go!"

"Not without you."

She wanted to scream. Just once, couldn't this boy just think of himself? "Tadashi - "

He leaned further and wrapped his arms around her torso, lifting her from the ocean and dragging her into the lifeboat.

"What are you _doing?!_" she all but screeched as he rowed frantically.

"Saving your behind!"

The mermaid reached for one of the oars while her tail flopped helplessly, but the boat kept rocking and she had to keep grappling for it.

"Why do you keep moving the boat?!" she grunted. "Cut that out!"

"I'm not doing anything - " He started to protest.

Well, he _was_ rowing, certainly. But he hadn't shift in his seat at all, and the waves weren't noticeably huge. GoGo listened, and rather than rocking, she heard a low rumbling. It seemed Tadashi heard it too, because he turned behind him as the rumbling turned into a tremor and something colossal erupted from the ocean. The cold ocean water slapped against their comparatively minuscule boat, rocking and carrying them leagues away from the ship and the mainland until it was completely overturned. Without a second thought, GoGo gripped her arms around Tadashi, desperately trying to keep him afloat. The two watched in horror as King Callaghan had enlarged himself to the size of a tower, his trident furiously scarlet.

"You foolish mermaid," he thundered, "hiding the witch from me!" Debris from the ocean rose above the surface, encircling them.

One thought ran through GoGo's mind as he pointed the trident at them once more.

_Spare him, spare him, no matter what happens._

...

GoGo tore them apart and pushed him away before the giant merman could strike. Tadashi screamed her name endlessly, but by now she was lost in the vast ocean and probably couldn't hear him through all the crashing and thundering. The giant struck again, and this time Tadashi ducked underwater, grabbing the first thing that came into his hands - ropes! He tugged and lifted his foot, feeling it press up against some kind of wall. He heaved himself upwards, struggling against the current, and burst through the surface and gasped for air. Looking up, he found himself climbing up a wrecked ship.

His head was spinning. GoGo was a mermaid, Vanessa was some weird octopus thing, a giant merman was trying to kill them, white fish could somehow communicate with him, and lifeboats started carrying harpoons for some reason now. If he hadn't just been struck down by violent gold rays, he'd think he was in the middle of some wild dream. But he had to think fast if he was going to save GoGo, mermaid or no.

_Hiding the witch from me,_ the merman had said. What witch? Vanessa had been the one to drag her away. Vanessa! Tadashi grabbed the railings and climbed over. The deck had flooded and he tumbled across, possibly shattering every bone in his body. He didn't care. Forcing himself to stand, he struggled to keep his balance as he dashed to the ship's wheel. It was too stiff at first, and he had no idea how to actually drive (steer?) these things. As the ship wobbled from side to side, the wheel spun rapidly, nearly dragging him along with it.

_GoGo's out there. Someone needs to help._

Determined, Tadashi clutched the wheel harder and pulled with every muscle in his body. To his amazement, the wrecked ship turned in the direction he'd been aiming for. Grunting, he pushed more and turned his attention to the giant, who had opened a whirlpool and was shooting bolts inside it. There could only be one reason for it.

"Where's your human now?" the giant growled.

_Well, here's your answer,_ Tadashi thought as the ship drew closer. He clenched the wheel tighter.

The merman paid no heed to the incoming ship, completely fixated on finishing off the little mermaid. The ship crashed into his torso, effectively knocking the trident out of his hands. He howled with rage as the trident submerged into the water and the whirlpool closed up. As his body started shrinking, the debris started sinking back into the ocean, at which point Tadashi mustered the last of his strength to hop off the ship and dive back into the steadily calming seas.

...

"Tadashi!" GoGo screamed. "Tada - "

When the king's head poked out of the ocean, the mermaid started swimming towards him to demand answers. She'd strangle him if she had to, royalty or otherwise. She probably would have, too, had she not felt a something grasp her shoulder. Her heart raced as she turned around, hopeful -

"Ta - " GoGo immediately cut herself off. The sea witch looked at her pitifully, shaking her head. The mermaid started to protest, but the witch pointed back in the direction of the king. There was a woman in front of him - Abigail. She still had her legs, but seemed to be floating above the water. Honey Lemon must have made this happen somehow.

"Abigail..." A choke cut him off.

His daughter, on the other hand, only gazed at him with sorrow and perhaps a bit of contempt. "This is why I left."

"You...?"

"You were so insistent that I stay by your side that you never gave me a chance to explore the rest of the world!" she cried. "Did you really think I would be happy with that?"

"I was trying to protect you!"

"It was like being a prisoner, Father!" Her eyes were weary, and GoGo once again registered how quickly she had aged in the human world. Mermaids started aging much more slowly after reaching twenty, and she wondered if Abigail knew what she had been throwing away when she left. "I love you, but I needed to see what it was like out there - "

"But did you really have to abandon us?" the king interrupted, pained. "Your sisters? Your kingdom? Your own father?"

"I didn't mean to leave forever," she protested. "I... I just wanted to see the human world for what it was just once. That was why I went to Honey Lemon. But there was so much left for me to explore, and I knew how you would be once you found out..." She shifted her eyes away guiltily. "There's someone I can't leave."

"You fell in love with a human."

"I married her. I'm going to stay human with her."

The king looked at his daughter, to the sea witch and the mermaid, then back to his daughter. He brought a hand to her cheek, mourning the loss of her youthful child self."Even if it means - ?"

"I would rather die a human than live as a mermaid not being with her," Abigail said firmly.

GoGo wondered if the king would explode. Instead, he gave a resigned sigh and pulled his daughter in, holding her close.

"Be happy with her," he mumbled, "and talk to us often?"

Abigail threw her arms around her father and sobbed, whispering, "I missed you."

Their little emotional exchange lasted a while, but when at last they pulled apart, Honey Lemon volunteered to deliver messages. The king apologized profusely for all he had done and lifted her sentence before diving under and returning to his kingdom.

"Tadashi!" GoGo cried, grasping the witch's arm. "Honey Lemon, where - "

"He's fine!" Honey Lemon chirped. "Hiro, Fred, and Wasabi found him and carried him back in a lifeboat."

The mermaid sighed with relief, and Honey Lemon rose the water on which Abigail stood.

"Wait," the king's daughter said before Honey Lemon could lead her back. She turned to GoGo and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I know you took the potion, too. Whatever you chose... I truly hope you find happiness."

The mermaid inhaled sharply, stiff at the touch. And she didn't follow when the women left for land.

...

The explanation took a while - first having to reaffirm that yes, mermaids and sea witches very much existed, and then having to explain every aspect of their sea kingdom before returning to the situation at hand. The Hamada brothers even brought in their aunt, deciding they owed her the truth as well. Fred, especially, seemed deeply fascinated with the idea and the majority of the conversation involved him begging to be turned into a merman superhero to embark on epic adventures throughout the ocean.

"After all, it may be quite simple to manipulate your magic to use on humans somehow!" he said hopefully, flapping his arms at the shore they were standing on.

"It's really... not," Honey Lemon said.

"I still can't believe this is real," Wasabi added, eyes still wide with shock. "It's a wonder none of that stuff going down got on a major news outlet or anything."

"King Callaghan was far enough away that nobody really saw him - you humans just reported it as a very bad storm. And anyway, most humans will go through lengths to come up with an explanation that best comforts them."

"This has been a really long day," Aunt Cass mumbled, running her hands through her hair. "Maybe more sleep will do..."

"Wait," Tadashi interjected to whom he now knew as Honey Lemon. "You said all she had to do to turn back to a mermaid was have me kiss her, right?"

"Absolutely!"

"But she'd only turn back if she wanted to."

"Well..." Honey Lemon tugged at her collar. "Yes, but..."

Hiro sharply turned to his brother, eyes on the verge of devastation. Tadashi struggled to find a response. So he'd just been part of a bigger scheme in the end, something she picked on a whim. She lied about being human and having amnesia. Who would it surprise if she only pretended to care about them because she had to?

And yet, as stupid as he felt, he couldn't bring himself to believe that. Everything since the first day on the beach always felt so sincere.

_"What if I left and... and you never saw me again?"_

_"In what situation would that happen?"  
"But if you couldn't?"_

_"Then I'd find a way."_

Moreover, he also couldn't blame her. To give up centuries of life, her tail, her home for a meager human life... who would want that? Even if it meant leaving the ones who had come to adopt her as part of their own family...

_"Even if I leave?"_

_"I'd miss you too much."_

"She promised - " Hiro started before falling silent again. Tadashi glanced at him, certain the same thoughts were running through his head.

"I'm sure she there was some mistake!" the witch blurted. "I - I'm a very unskilled witch, you see, so often - "

"I don't care," he interrupted, voice breaking at the last word. "I told her to be happy." He took off, kicking out the sand under his sneakers.

"Hiro!" Aunt Cass called, running after him.

"I can talk to her for you - " Honey Lemon protested before catching the look on Tadashi's face. "Unless..."

"I'm not giving up on her if that's what you're thinking," he said, trying to maintain his composure. "Just... if in the end, she doesn't want to come back, tell her..." He swallowed nervously, but looked directly into the witch's eyes. "Tell her I meant everything I said. And I hope she _is_ happy." There was nothing more to say, despite the witch looking as if she was about to burst with questions of her own. "Thank you for everything."

The witch remained silent as he trudged off after his brother.

...

It was everything the mermaid had missed so dearly - swimming freely in the waters, hair floating with nothing to hold it down. She didn't even so much as complain when someone had dumped cans on her favorite rock slab. Despite all that, she never so much as cracked a smile. Her chest felt heavier and she mostly lay in the sand watching the sunlight filter through.

"You are not ecstatic," Baymax said tonelessly.

It was odd to hear him speak again. "Well," she muttered, "things are back to the way they were."

"Is it as you wished?"

"C'mon! What'd I spend almost three months doing?"

"Not your original intent."

"Shut up, Baymax."

She fiddled with the nautilus shell still dangling from her neck- the one thing she'd kept from the human world. If she had known it would come so soon, she would have brought some gum with her. She missed those. And swimming wasn't quite the same as feeling the wind on a bike ride.

"You are unhappy."

"Who says I'm unhappy? I got what I wanted."

"Is this really what you wanted?"

"God, do I have to impersonate a Spice Girl?" she spat.

"Human girls cannot be spicy. It is physically impossible."

She rolled her eyes and flopped her tail. Tadashi certainly would have laughed at the joke. She'd have no problem venting to him about these things, because he would just reassure her - No. She had to stop thinking about them, but her fingers still wrapped tightly around the shell.

Maybe...

"GoGo!" Honey Lemon squealed, poking her head in front of hers and blocking the sun.

"Agh!" GoGo sprung up in surprise, knocking her forehead against Honey's. "What are you _doing_ \- "

"Oh, you know, lil ol' me! Just checking in on a customer review."

Annoyed, GoGo sunk her head back into the sand and rolled over. If she had blankets to pull over her head, she would. "Zero out of ten, don't recommend."

"_Zero?!_"

"Okay. Three for effort."

Honey Lemon huffed, undulating her tentacles. "So you got what you wanted?"

"What are you _really_ here for, Honey Lemon?"

She sighed. "Why did you turn back into a mermaid, GoGo?"

GoGo stopped rolling the shell between her fingers.

"I know I got at least that much of the potion right. I watched you! You had more reason to stay human than turn back. So why - "

"Who's to say I had more reason to stay human?" GoGo snapped, twisting her head in the witch's direction. Upon seeing her expression, she decided there was no point playing this game. "I saw what happened with Princess Abigail. I couldn't stay human and keep getting them involved with my problems."

"Dear, your situation certainly isn't the same as Princess Abigail's!"

"Okay, look. I've been thinking it over. You were having your fight with Abigail, and I heard the stuff you guys said. I didn't want to piss off the king and then have him come back to... I don't know, zap them or something."

"But that's all over now! Going back isn't a problem!"

"You don't get it, do you?" GoGo said. "I lied to them. About everything. I broke my promise to them and just abandoned them just like their - How can I even _look_ at them after that?"

Honey Lemon's face softened, and GoGo hated that.

"It's better that I don't see them again. They probably don't even _want_ to see me again."

"GoGo... However hurt they may be, I'm sure they miss you much more."

The mermaid merely traced a picture in the sand.

"Please. Talk to them. Tadashi had something to say to you."

"He did? What was it?"

The witch smiled. "Maybe you should ask him that yourself."

...

It was still August, but Tadashi felt a chilly breeze that made him wonder if he should have brought his cardigan. The sea was calm, and he remembered planning to teach Hiro to surf. It wasn't too late just yet; they had a while before school would start. Of course, with all that had happened this summer, school hardly crossed his mind.

Something poked out of the water. He squinted and barely made out a head, but as the realization hit him his heart leapt. He didn't hesitate to scramble closer to the sea, from which a full torso emerged and he found himself face-to-face with GoGo once again.

"GoGo," he gasped, sinking to his knees. She was still wearing the nautilus shell around her neck, he couldn't help feeling the tiniest bit hopeful.

She didn't respond at first, and he wondered if she'd lost her voice again. Almost guiltily, she lifted her tail from the water as if to give him a better look.

"So... I guess mermaids are real." He forced a chuckle, but still GoGo didn't speak. "Are you..."

"I can talk just fine, dum-dum," she snapped. He laughed for real this time.

"Yeah, I can see that."

"How's Hiro?"

"He's... fine." Slumped in the couch mindlessly watching TV, but otherwise healthy. "He really misses you, though." A part of him remembered he was having this conversation with a mermaid. Was Hell enjoying its icy renovations and playing Let It Go on full blast?

She lowered her gaze. "I..."

"Is it better now that you're back in the sea?"

"There's no bubblegum here, just FYI."

"I can run to the store and get you a pack if that's what you want."

She snorted. "Sure. They're very likely to stay good underwater."

It was like nothing had changed, and they were merely resuming a conversation from seconds ago. He felt a glimmer of hope. "Well, if you come back, you can have all the gum you want."

"Well at least in the sea I don't have to share it with anyone."

_Not share it with anyone or don't have anyone to share it with?_ he wanted to ask, but knew that was out of line. Still, he couldn't help remember her insistence that no one would miss her where she was from. And that there was no point in playing coy anymore.

"GoGo... we miss you. I miss you." He watched her head shoot back up, but he continued. If he didn't tell her the truth now, he might never get to. He regretted everything he never said to her when she was human. "I know all that stuff went on with the mer-king or whatever you call him, but did you really have to leave? Were we not worth coming back to?"

"No!" GoGo protested. "That's not it - "

"Then _why?_"

"You _saw_ what happened! Maybe my situation's not that serious. But it could have been. I was scared. How was I supposed to know he was gonna calm his shit later?"

"But you always could've come back later. What took you so long?"

"I... Aren't you super pissed that I lied to you, though?"

"Well - " Tadashi scratched his head. "Yeah, I was a little miffed. But I get why you would have to. It really doesn't matter. GoGo, we just want you to come home."

If he didn't know any better, he'd say her eyes lit up at the last word. Home. "But... What about all the other human world crap you talked about? Like... Social Security and school and - "

"Hey, you think you're the only amnesiac lost person that's ever turned up before? All that we can always sort out." He smiled, although he was dying to beg her to say yes. "You always have a home here... if you want it."

He held his breath as he waited for a response. After a moment, GoGo dove back into the water, and he felt something in him shatter. It hadn't worked after all. Of course it wouldn't. He vaguely thought back to the news of his parents. At the time, he'd thrown a tantrum, but he was much too old for that. It just felt hollow. Resignedly, he stood up and turned to leave.

At that moment he heard and eerie vibrating noise. Funny. Cautiously, he turned his head back to the ocean. The spot GoGo had been in bubbled and shimmered with gold. Black and violet poked out, and when she rose from the water completely, she had legs once again. The sea foam slinked around her body until it formed a sparkling blue dress, but the shell hung around her neck. As she took her first step on the sand, she began spitting violently.

"Sand," she choked, wiping her mouth. "Sorry."

Tadashi scurried back to her, sweeping her tiny body from the shore and spinning her around once until his foot slipped and he ended up landing flat on his back. He was pretty sure sand had gotten in his eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

GoGo crowed with laughter. "What was _that_ about?"

"I saw it in the movies?" he answered, cheeks pink with embarrassment.

She flicked his forehead and pressed her own against it. "Dingus."

Tadashi had never really considered himself very skilled at comebacks despite years of practice with a younger sibling. Instead, he brushed his hands through her hair and brought their lips together, hoping it was good enough.

* * *

**A/N:** Fear not, we still have one more to go!


	14. Epilogue

**A/N:** The final chapter is... finally here. Thanks for sticking around! I had a lot of fun writing this, and I might do more fairy tale!Tomadashi AUs in the future. (I'm personally thinking Beauty and the Beast next time around.) If it interests any of you, let me know in the reviews which adaptations you'd like to see! Thanks again!

* * *

"You know, we never did get to ask you your real name," Tadashi thought out loud, curled next to GoGo on the couch. She had done away with the dress (Honey Lemon's idea, she insisted) and was back in the comfort of a T-shirt and sweatpants.

"Oh, that," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's - "

"_JOHN CENAAAA,_" the TV blared, flashing some wrestling program Hiro seemed particularly enamored with.

"Sorry, guys!" Hiro said, juggling the remote in his hands before turning down the volume. Mochi

"No, wait, keep it on! I love watching this crap," GoGo encouraged as she turned away from Tadashi and pulled her knees up to her chin.

Tadashi sighed and pulled his attention to the TV, fingers still laced around GoGo's. "So... your name's John Cena?"

"I wish! Nah, It's Leiko Tanaka. GoGo has a nice ring to it, though."

"Beats Naruto Uzumaki," he said, smirking at his brother.

"To be _fair_, Ichigo Kurasaki was my next option," Hiro protested.

"Who?" GoGo asked.

From the kitchen they heard barking, and Aunt Cass waltzed into the living room, hopping foot to foot as Baymax scampered around her.

"Well, guess we're gonna have to get used to a lot of shedding in this house," she sighed before smiling warmly. "Welcome back, GoGo."

...

Things definitely could have been worse. Sending three kids off to university certainly gave Aunt Cass bragging rights at the café (more so than her patrons could really stand). It came to no one's surprise that kid genius Hiro had gotten in on personal invitation and a scholarship, but the former mermaid's expertise in most academic fields (particularly marine biology and physics) sparked most people's curiosity.

"The fish stuff I can get behind, but physics?" Wasabi had asked, stunned.

"You don't think I read those guys' stupid textbooks while I was bored?" she scoffed. "I just wanted to fix Tadashi's stupid bike."

Honey Lemon decided to join that same year, deciding she needed a vacation and being able to fake most of her and GoGo's documents.

"You couldn't have done that before?" Wasabi seemed to be bursting with questions as of late.

"But what _fun_ would that be?" the witch asked as if this were the most obvious thing.

The six, it seemed, had all fallen into their own little circle. It was a strange sensation for the mermaid to have so many people clamoring around her at once, voicing their concerns for her and constantly wanting to go out - even if they did virtually nothing, so long as it was together. She didn't mind, enjoyed it even. The Hamadas seemed to adjust to their independence just a bit differently. The older was growing accustomed to having his own life, his own friends without constant panic of his brother acting on his pyromania, whereas the younger ventured without guilt so long as his second mother Wasabi had some say in it.

"Guys, do you realize what this is?" Fred gasped. "We're like... a superhero group!"

"Please don't tell me you have a name plotted out," Wasabi mumbled.

"Ooh, a name sounds cute!" Honey Lemon squealed.

"I do, in fact!" Fred answered.

"Let's hear it," Tadashi said, grinning.

"Since there are six of us dudes and dudettes, I was thinking... _Big Hero 6!_"

The other five exchanged glances and shrugs with each other before coming to an agreement. "Nah, that's too stupid."

...

The changing of seasons had cooled the weather considerably, and so the beach received less visitors than it would have in the summer. On particularly empty days, GoGo would sit by the sparkling shore and recall her days with a tail, watching the sunlight filter through the surface. Occasionally she'd sing if she was in a good mood.

Sometimes Tadashi joined her, wordlessly watching the waves together.

"Do you miss it?" he asked once.

"A little," she admitted. "But I'm used to it."

"Because I was thinking..."

She flicked his forehead before he could finish. "Look here, dum-dum. No matter what, I don't regret what I did."

"Do you mean that?"

At his, GoGo gently grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him in, melding their lips together. It was the answer he always liked best.


End file.
